Contrary to popular belief, plastic cutting boards are more likely to harbor bacteria than wood ones. New plastic boards are easier to clean, but ones with cuts are nearly impossible to completely disinfect, whereas wood ones absorb and kill bacteria, regardless of age or use.
Wood Cutting Boards Kill Bacteria Better Than Plastic
For decades, health departments and home cooks alike have sworn by plastic cutting boards as the more sanitary option. The logic seemed sound: plastic is non-porous, goes in the dishwasher, and looks cleaner. Turns out, we've been getting it backwards.
New plastic cutting boards are indeed easier to sanitize than new wooden ones. But here's where things get interesting: once those knife cuts start accumulating, plastic boards become bacteria traps. Those grooves create microscopic hideouts where bacteria can survive even aggressive scrubbing and dishwasher cycles.
Wood's Secret Weapon
Wooden cutting boards possess a superpower that scientists didn't fully understand until recently: they actively kill bacteria. When bacteria enter the wood through knife cuts, they get absorbed into the fibers and die within hours. The exact mechanism isn't completely understood, but researchers believe it involves the wood extracting moisture from bacterial cells.
A landmark University of Wisconsin study tested this by intentionally contaminating cutting boards with disease-causing bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. On plastic boards with knife scars, bacteria survived and could be retrieved even after cleaning. On wooden boards—even heavily used ones—bacteria became unrecoverable within minutes to hours.
The Age Factor
Plastic boards deteriorate with use, becoming less sanitary over time as knife grooves deepen.
Wooden boards maintain their antibacterial properties regardless of age or how scarred they become.
This challenges everything restaurants and home kitchens have been taught about food safety. The FDA and health departments began recommending plastic in the 1980s based on theory, not testing. When scientists actually compared real-world use, wood came out ahead.
What About Cross-Contamination?
You should still use separate boards for raw meat and produce—that applies to both materials. The difference is what happens after you wash them. With plastic, bacteria hiding in grooves can transfer to your next meal. With wood, those bacteria are dying off even as you put the board away.
Modern food safety guidelines have started catching up to the science. Many professional kitchens now use wooden boards for everything except raw poultry, where they prefer disposable options or boards that can be thoroughly sanitized after each use.
The best choice? For most home cooking, a quality wooden cutting board—maple and walnut are excellent options—will serve you well for years while actually becoming more bacteria-resistant with use. Just avoid putting it in the dishwasher; the heat and moisture will crack the wood. A quick scrub with hot soapy water and occasional mineral oil treatment is all it needs.