BACK TO THE WOODS by Gary Arthur Science today validates the use of the old-fashioned cutting board. One of my fondest memories of childhood is sitting in the warmth of my grandmother's kitchen as the family gathered together to prepare Sunday dinner. I remember the heat from the stove, the delicious smells as the bread baked and the meal simmered, and the beauty of the heavy cast iron pots and pans, speckled blue coffeepot, and many wooden items that filled the kitchen. My grandmother had the most wonderful assortment of wooden bowls, cutting boards, and cooking utensils -- even the long-handled wooden spoon that served a second purpose on those occasions when we happened to misbehave. It seemed that each piece had its own story, and in Grandma's kitchen I learned about the bowl that "Mama brought when they came out in the wagon," and the cutting board that "your grandpa made when he built the house on the old farm." I remember asking Grandma why she used the big wooden bowl to mix the bread dough in, and she replied, "Because that's the one that you use!" and that it had been that way since those days when she herself had been a young helper in the kitchen. In the 1800s, wooden bowls, cutting boards, and utensils were everyday items. Hundreds of mills and small shops manufactured wooden tools for use in the kitchen. In modern times, "the one that you use" has become harder to find, even in specialty stores and catalogs. We've been told that wooden bowls and cutting boards promote the growth of poisonous bacteria that remain in or on the wood, ready to contaminate foods cut on the same surface. Food safety publications in the past have often recommended that plastic tools and boards be used in place of wood in all food preparation. Recently, however, technology has once again advanced backward. An ongoing study under the direction of microbiologist Dean O. Cliver, entitled "The Microbiology of Cutting Boards for Food Safety," is currently being conducted by the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In this study, wooden and plastic cutting boards have been compared to determine their sanitary characteristics. Several types of bacteria, including E. coli, salmonella, and other strains resistant to environmental rigors, have been introduced onto the surfaces of new and used cutting boards. A variety of finishes and types of wood -- maple, ash, walnut, beech, birch, and cherry -- as well as various polymers and plastics -- polyacrylic, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene -- and also hard rubber, have been tested and compared. The incubation recovery to a repeated three-day exposure period without cleaning and has included temperature differences from 39øF to normal room temperature. A summary report from the study indicates that recoveries from wooden blocks were generally less than those from plastic blocks, the differences increasing with holding time. After three minutes, there was up to a 99.9 percent reduction of bacteria on the wood, while the bacteria on the plastic continued to multiply. The results showed the importance of not letting fatty food residues accumulate on a cutting board's surface -- especially on wooden boards. This was the only instance where there was not a marked reduction of bacteria on the wooden boards, though it should be noted that the bacteria did not multiply. Testing, which included a hot (137øF) solution of liquid dishwashing detergent followed by a hot rinse, showed that wood surfaces washed three minutes after contamination yielded essentially no bacteria, whereas residual bacteria were found on the plastic surfaces. The test results for used or knife-cut wood surfaces were reported to be virtually the same and in some cases better than the test results for new wooden boards. The study showed that in the interaction between the bacteria and the wood, the bacteria became absorbed into the pores of the wood but could not then emerge to contaminate anything else. The study has concluded that further research is needed to explain the antimicrobial action of the wood. Even if the bacteria are physically held only within the wood pores, this unique phenomenon may prevent the cross contamination of foods cut on wood surfaces. While more research is needed before general recommenations regarding wooden surfaces and food contact can be made, the study results so far seem to indicate that wood products are safer than plastic for use in food-related areas. (Editor's note: If you do use a hard-plastic cutting board, especially one that's knife-scored, simple hot-water-and-detergent scrubbings will not be sufficient to maintain a safe surface. Sanitize the board with bleach and/or wash it in the dishwasher.) CARE AND FEEDING OF WOOD Wooden bowls, cutting boards, and utensils do require a little more care than do other materials. While the importance of thorough washing was indicated in the study, wooden kitchen tools should never be soaked. Wooden items are neither dishwasher-safe nor are they microwavable (both processes will cause damage.). Periodically, the entire inside and outside surfaces of any wooden kitchen item should be rubbed with a natural oil to maintain the finish, inhibit moisture absorption, and prevent the wood from cracking. Do not use vegetable oil, as it can turn rancid over time. Pure walnut oil (from your local co-op or health food store) is a good choice. There are manufactured oils available to be used both for finishing new wood and for maintaining previously finished food-preparation surfaces. I personally recommend a product called BLOCK OIL, a combination of waxes and natural oils specifically blended for this purpose that will not turn rancid. A wooden kitchen tool should have a good finish. As unfinished items tend to pick up stains, flavors, and odors from the foods with which they come in contact, the type of finish used on wooden bowls, cutting boards, and utensils is very important. Since the surface of the wood comes in contact with food, its finish should be completely nontoxic and contain only ingredients that can safely be consumed. While only a few finishes are advertised as food-safe, some manufacturers claim that their finishes are "non-toxic when dry" or that if there are ingredients that could be termed toxic, they are solvents that will evaporate and leave no residue when they dry. That may well be true, but I prefer not to take any chances when food-safe finishes are readily available. I can't help thinking, Is that really something I want to put in my mouth? That might also explain why I don't like to use laminated bowls and cutting boards that are stuck together with who-knows-what. When buying new wooden bowls or other items, look for labels that advertise a nontoxic finish. But note that most varnishes are toxic. If an item is not labeled, you can contact the company that manufactures it. Every firm that sells such merchandise is required by law to furnish -- to anyone who requests it -- a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on each of its products. NEWLY OLD-FASHIONED There are still three or four mills left that turn out good one-piece wooden bowls like the ones form the 1800s, though a water wheel is no longer used to power the machinery. The manufacturing process is unique and allows a mill to produce up to 16 bowls from each round of wood cut from a tree, quite an efficient use of wood. There are a number of companies, also, that are still making wooden cutting boards and quality wood kitchen utensils. These tools may not slice, dice, or julienne, but often they are still the best method for getting the job done, and the only power you need is your own effort. Some types of these tools have been around since kitchens were invented while others allow us a new and simpler way to do the same old chores. In manufacturing kitchen tools, the type of wood used is an important consideration. A number of trees have wood not suitable for cutting boards, bowls, or utensils. Some woods contain tannin or tannic acid, while others contain the pitch or oils used to make turpentine. Either of these conditions could cause the foods coming into contact with the wood's surface to have a unique flavor. Some types are simply too soft and would easily become scarred or worn. The best wooden bowls, cutting boards, and utensils are made from hardwood trees: birch, maple, beech, walnut, ash, and cherry, for example. These trees have a shorter life span, and using them does not affect the old-growth forests that we are all trying so hard to preserve. Many of these hardwood trees grow in areas that will not maintain old-growth trees, while others are the first trees that appear in the ecological cyale of an area, providing protection for the seedlings that will become old growth. Hardwoods give bowls, cutting boards, and utensils durability and will allow them to take quite a lot of abuse. Even when knocked, bumped, banged, or dropped, good wood can withstand the punishment; many families have one or two wooden objects that have been passed down through several generations. Pieces made from even the same types of wood can have very different characteristics, giving each and every piece a character and beauty of its own. Some types have knots, some stripes, some swirls, and some lots of color, while some are very plain. The oil finish brings out the highlights and individuality of the wood. Looking over a selection of wooden tools, we often find ourselves faced with a dilemma -- they're all so beautiful, which to choose? After a while, one will reach out and say, "Take me home." Wooden bowls, cutting boards, and utensils add a warmth and a sense of good feeling to any kitchen, whether it's in an urban condominium or a country homestead. In our kitchen are many wooden objects, some new and others that have been handed down with wonderful stories. The feel and smell of the wood brings back thoughts of those cherished childhood moments. I hope these items will all be passed on someday to the next generation to be enjoyed as much as they are now -- and were back then in Grandma's kitchen. Bacteria and Cutting Boards by staff (American Survival Guide, March 1994) For years it was assumed that plastic cutting boards were less likely to harbor dangerous food poisoning bacteria than were the more traditional wooden cutting boards. Now, however, researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found exactly the opposite to be true. In a series of experiments, microbiologists exposed both types of cutting boards to salmonella and E.coli bacteria, both frequently found in raw meats, poultry and seafood. Ninety-nine per cent of the bacteria were found to have died within three minutes on the wooden cutting boards. On the plastic boards the bacteria not only didn't die, they continued to grow. The researchers have theorized that there is a component in the wood that is lethal to food-borne pathogens. They are now seeking to determine precisely what that component is. Food safety experts note that all cutting boards and utensils should be cleaned frequently when in use in order to prevent cross-contamination between foods or utensils. Plastic cutting boards can be cleaned using a solution of two teaspoons of bleach to one quart water.