TLDR: Chopping food on plastic cutting board can release microplastic that could end up in your body, harm your health.

LONG VERSION: Recent studies found that plastic chopping boards are a substantial source of microplastics in human food.

The study assumes that the average person makes 500 cuts per day on a board, or over the course of a year, 128,000 cuts. Given those numbers, the cumulative microplastics exposure ranges from 7.4 to 50.7 grams per year. For context, a plastic credit card weighs about five grams, so the highest end of this estimate amounts to 10 credit cards per year, shed onto your board and food.

Microplastics have been linked to harming the human body as a source of toxic chemicals, and they’re connected to various cancers and disorders. With each chop on your plastic cutting board, you're releasing microplastics into your food.

The basic concept of any wooden kitchen utensil that is used in direct contact with food like spoon, bowl, ladle or cutting board is that they CANNOT have permanent coating like the one you will find in furniture - for example shellac, lacquer, varnish - because these coating have toxic chemical.

Wooden kitchen utensils were finished with food safe oil. Since the oil will strip down over usage, the oil needs to be applied again from time to time to hydrates the fibre of the wood so it will not dry out and absorb too much moisture.

A well conditioned wooden board will resist mold. Some boards need more conditioning than others, depending on the type and density of the wood.

(psst... our Chengal X board is made from one of the most dense wood in the world)

End-grain cutting board is the industry standard for wooden cutting board. It uses the end fibre of the wood as the surface for cutting. Instead of cutting across the grain, the knife slices between the wood fibre. This achieve two things - it helps the knife stay sharp and leaves significantly lesser knife marks on the board. End-grain cutting board is also more durable and warp resistant. An end grain cutting board can be refurbished and if properly maintain, can last a lifetime.

For SYP board size guide: click here

For details understanding on how to choose the right cutting board size, please read this article.

That is the most frequent comment we get, especially for SYP board.

While end-grain board is known for its 'self-healing' properties, the pattern (especially SYP board) also helps to conceal the cutting marks.

So it will take a lot of usage before the cutting marks will be obvious. And when that finally happens, bask in pride that you have put it to good use.

And guess what? An end-grain board can be re-sanded, even after decades of usage, and can look brand new.

Clean with lukewarm water and light-duty soap. Do not soak. Do not use metal scrub or dishwasher. Handwash both sides and wipe excess moisture. Let it dry before storing it. If standing it upright, make sure the edge is not wet or damp. Apply mineral oil or board butter if it’s too dry. 

A wood cutting board need to be conditioned from time to time, primarily with food-grade mineral oil or board butter to maintain their appearance and prevent damage.

The objective is to moisturises the fibres of the wood to avoid the cutting board from cracking/splitting and give protection against mould.

We recommend to condition the board once a week for the first month, then once a month for the next few months, then as needed from there.

The more often you are using and washing, the more frequent the board need to be conditioned.

• Smear mineral oil or board butter on the board using finger or cloth.
• Spread on all surfaces of the board 
• Let it soak for 15 minutes.
• Buff it off with the same cloth. The board is ready to be use or store without the need to wash it.

Tips. Using the same dedicated cloth and store it in a ziplock bag in between uses will help conserve the board butter. 

For our SYP board, handling highly pigmented food like turmeric or avocado may cause stains, but regular conditioning with board butter or mineral oil helps minimise staining and promotes self-cleaning.

Minor stains will fade and disappear over time and usage. The fibers will patina again and turn into that rich wood tone look. Just remember to conditioned your cutting board on a regular basis.

As an alternative, our Chengal board is more suitable to handle highly pigmented food as it is denser and can resist stains.