Why your cutting board matters during the cyclosporiasis outbreak

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Health officials have urged Americans to be extra careful with fresh produce as cyclosporiasis cases continue to rise across the country. But if contaminated lettuce, basil or cilantro touched your cutting board before making its way onto your plate, could the parasite be lingering elsewhere in your kitchen?

As I was meal prepping over the weekend, dicing up slabs of meat on the same cutting board I've used to chop up other kitchen ingredients, I couldn't help but wonder if my cutting board could also be contaminated?

If cyclospora—the parasite behind the illness—can hitch a ride on contaminated food, what happens when that food comes into contact with cutting boards, countertops, and kitchen tools?

According to Jason Reese, food safety expert, co-founder, and managing partner at Wagner Reese LLP, your produce isn't the only thing you should worry about cleaning more intently these days — as kitchen tools like cutting boards can also act as a site of cross-contamination.

Below, Reese offers more insight into how cross-contamination can happen, whether certain cutting boards are safer than others and the signs it may be time to replace yours.

Could cyclospora be hiding on your cutting board? What food safety experts say

If contaminated produce has made its way into your kitchen, an uncleaned cutting board can help spread contamination from one food to another.

"An uncleaned cutting board after the first use can serve as a means of transferring the parasite from one vegetable to another," explains Reese, noting that heads of lettuce, cilantro, and basil are among the produce most suspected of being involved in the outbreak, as they often go directly onto plates without going through the cooking stage.

But Reese says the cutting board itself isn't necessarily the problem.

"It is not the cutting board itself but rather the opportunity for cross-contamination on its surface; this is the principle behind virtually all produce-related outbreaks I have encountered in my work," Reese says.

Is your cutting board putting you at greater risk of contamination?

Not necessarily — in fact, Reese argues that in these sorts of situations, the condition of your cutting board is far more important than the materials it's made of.

"The question should not be 'What is the board made of?' but rather 'Is it in good condition?'" Reese says.

Both the USDA and FDA consider wood and nonporous cutting boards made from materials like plastic, marble, glass, and pyroceramic to be safe for food preparation when they're properly maintained. Reese notes that hardwoods such as maple, walnut and cherry also have inherent antibacterial properties, and scientists from the University of Wisconsin suggest that bacteria becomes inactive after entering the wood grain. The bigger concern is wear and tear.

Signs it's time to replace your cutting board include:

• Areas that are difficult to fully clean
• Deep knife grooves
• Stains that won't come out
• Persistent odors
• Warping or cracks

"Plastic boards are dishwasher-safe, thus making the cleaning process easier, but they get scarred faster during regular usage," says Reese.

Looking for a middle ground? Reese recommends bamboo cutting boards, which are durable, resistant to scarring and approved by the USDA for food preparation.

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So, should you throw away your cutting board?

Not necessarily. But if your cutting board is heavily scratched, deeply grooved or difficult to clean, Reese says it's worth taking a closer look.

"A board that has become too worn out and hard to clean due to deep grooves from knives should be thrown away. Cyclospora hides in these grooves and withstands being washed," he explains.

Cyclosporiasis cleaning tips for contaminated surfaces

There are ways you can make your cutting board safer for regular use, even amid the cyclosporiasis outbreak. To start: Reese recommends understanding that "cleaning and sanitizing are two different processes — and most people only do one of them."

"I have seen extremely diligent chefs become very ill because they have washed the board but forgotten to sanitize," he explains.

Here are some USDA-recommended tips he advises you follow:

1. Wash your cutting board in hot, soapy water

After every use, make sure according to Reese, that you're scrubbing "all nooks and crannies," then soak the board in a solution of one tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

2. Rinse and air dry

"Plastic and solid wood cutting boards may be run through the dishwasher; laminated boards may not. The bleach solution should be replaced each week because it becomes less effective over time," Reese explains.

3. Use different cutting boards for different foods

When it comes to cutting boards, this shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all (or rather, one-board-fits-all) solution to food prep.

"Use one board exclusively for meats, poultry, and seafood, and another board exclusively for fruits, vegetables, and other foods that will be consumed without further cooking," says Reese.

If you've been paying extra attention to washing your produce during the cyclosporiasis outbreak, food safety experts say it's worth giving the same attention to the cutting board underneath it.

What foods have been contaminated by the cyclosporiasis outbreak?

Health investigators have not identified a single source for the current increase in cyclosporiasis outbreaks. However, previous outbreaks have been associated with produce like lettuce, raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas, green onions, and salad mixes.

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