Cutting boards come in a variety of colors, which can be confusing when deciding which one to use. The color of a cutting board typically indicates the type of food it is best suited for in order to avoid cross-contamination. Each color denotes whether the board should be used for raw meats, fruits and vegetables, cooked foods, or all-purpose. Understanding what each color means helps ensure proper food safety when prepping meals.
History of Colored Cutting Boards
The tradition of using color-coded cutting boards began in professional kitchens as a way to avoid cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Restaurant and commercial kitchens needed a clear system to keep raw meats and their bacteria away from other ingredients. Colored cutting boards provided a straightforward method for cooks and chefs to keep different foods separate.
This practice was then adopted in home kitchens as knowledge expanded around foodborne illnesses. Using separate cutting boards for produce and animal proteins became an important safety recommendation. The color system created an easy way for home cooks to implement better food preparation habits. While colored boards are not mandatory, they make it simpler to keep foods appropriately separated.
Common Cutting Board Color Meanings
Over time, a generally standard color convention emerged for what each color denotes. Here are the common cutting board color meanings:
Red: Red cutting boards are for raw meats, poultry, and seafood. Red indicates foods that can contain dangerous pathogens like Salmonella and E. Coli, so this board is used to keep them separated. Only raw animal products should touch the red board.
Green: Green cutting boards are for fresh produce like fruits and vegetables. These foods are generally safer to consume raw but you still want to avoid contamination from animal products. Use the green board for any produce that will be eaten raw.
Yellow: Yellow cutting boards are for cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Once meats, poultry, and seafood are cooked to proper temperatures, they can be safely moved to the yellow board. This is also used for items like cheese, bread and baked goods.
Blue: Blue cutting boards are the all-purpose board. They can be used for any food when separate boards for each food group are not available. However, best practice is to use the blue board only for foods that will be thoroughly cooked later, like vegetables destined for oven roasting.
White: White cutting boards are used for dairy, breads and other baked goods. Keeping these foods separate prevents transferring flavors to each other.
Brown: Brown cutting boards are designated for raw fish and sushi specifically. This helps keep raw fish from contaminating or picking up flavors from other raw meats.
Here is a handy table summarizing the common cutting board color meanings:
| Cutting Board Color | Foods |
|---|---|
| Red | Raw meat, poultry, seafood |
| Green | Fruits and vegetables |
| Yellow | Cooked food, ready-to-eat food |
| White | Breads, baked goods, dairy |
| Blue | All-purpose |
| Brown | Raw fish and sushi |
Other Benefits of Colored Cutting Boards
Beyond denoting which foods go on which surface, colored cutting boards offer some additional advantages:
– Visual cues. The color-coding provides immediate visual cues to avoid cross-contamination. You can quickly glance at the color of the board to know what food it is meant for.
– Easy identification. Colored boards allow you to easily identify which is which when pulling them out of storage. No need to second guess – the color tells you which food group it is for.
– Limit mistakes. Using separate and identically colored boards for different food types greatly reduces the chance of mistakes that could lead to foodborne illness.
– Replace when worn. When cutting boards show excessive wear, stains or knicks, you know to replace that color board while still using the others.
– Match kitchen decor. Fun colors can inject visual interest into your kitchen decor and tools. Cutting boards come in a huge range of hues.
– Add personality. Vibrant or patterned boards let you showcase some of your personality through your cooking tools.
So in addition to promoting food safety, colored cutting boards offer many benefits around usability and style. They make prepping foods simpler and more efficient.
Proper Use of Colored Cutting Boards
To get the most from your color-coded cutting boards, follow these best practices in using them:
– Never cut raw meat, poultry or seafood on a board that previously held other foods unless it has been thoroughly washed and sanitized. This is critical for avoiding cross-contamination.
– Wash, rinse and sanitize cutting boards after each use. Be diligent about cleaning and sanitizing after cutting raw animal products.
– Let boards fully dry before putting away for storage. Drying prevents warping and growth of bacteria.
– Use separate boards for each food group if possible. Having four or more boards and using each one exclusively for its intended foods is ideal.
– If using one all-purpose board, wash, rinse and sanitize between different types of food. Allow it to fully dry before switching from raw meat to vegetables, for example.
– Replace boards that become excessively worn or develop deep grooves. These can harbor bacteria even after cleaning.
– Consider using different colored boards for meat varieties. For example, red for beef, green for poultry, and yellow for pork.
– Avoid cutting fruits and vegetables on boards that previously held raw eggs. Raw eggs can contain Salmonella.
Following the color meanings and these best practices will make your cutting boards last longer while optimizing food safety. Keep your red for meat only, green for produce only, and so on for reliable separation.
Selecting Quality Colored Cutting Boards
Look for cutting boards made of materials that are durable, gentle on knife blades, and nonporous. High quality boards should also fit well in your kitchen space. Consider these tips when selecting colored cutting boards:
– Choose boards made of wood, plastic, rubber, acrylic, or composite materials. Avoid glass or marble which can damage knives.
– Wood boards should be made of solid hardwoods like maple, walnut, cherry or teak with tight grain patterns. Softer porous woods harbor more bacteria.
– Plastic boards should contain no phthalates or bisphenol A (BPA). Look for food grade, non-toxic plastics.
– Seek out thicker boards around 1-2 inches thick. Thinner boards tend to warp over time with cleaning and use.
– Pick larger sized boards or ones with juice grooves if dealing with large cuts of meat or fish.
– Make sure boards fit your available storage space and dishwashers if needed.
– Select boards approved by the NSF, FDA or similar organizations to ensure food safe materials.
– Choose boards with simple designs/patterns or plain colors. Elaborate surfaces trap germs.
High quality cutting boards in vivid colors can make prepping foods safer and more enjoyable. Let the colors guide you to be a safer, smarter cook!
Conclusion
The tradition of using colored cutting boards originated with professional kitchens wanting to prevent cross-contamination between foods. This practice was then adopted by home cooks once the dangers of foodborne illness became clear. While not mandatory, colored cutting boards provide visual cues and simplify keeping different foods separate during prep.
Each color denotes a particular food group – red for raw meats, green for produce, yellow for cooked foods, white for bakery, and so on. Following this color system helps maximize food safety and minimize contamination. Besides promoting sanitary habits, colored boards also offer benefits like easier identification, replacement when worn, and injecting personality into the kitchen. Using the colored boards properly, cleaning thoroughly between uses, and selecting more durable materials are keys to getting the most from this handy kitchen tool.
