Is Your Finish Food Safe
Let us put your mind at ease
Wood finishes contain all kinds of chemicals that you would not want to put in your mouth, so you can't help but wonder: Is it safe to coat a salad bowl or a serving platter with the stuff? The answer: Any commercial finish is safe, once it has dried and cured. Here's a look at the most common concerns.
Q. Which finishes are safe for children's toys or projects that come in contact with food? A. You can use any finish that's appropriate to your project, including varnish, lacquer, shellac, and boiled linseed oil. Before putting it to use, be sure to allow for complete curing, a chemical process that takes significantly longer than drying. Some kinds of finish cure by evaporation of their solvent, and some cure by reacting with oxygen. Either way, the process continues after a film has formed on top.
Q. How long does it take various finishes to cure? A. The container label should give you general guidelines about how long to wait. For example, one salad bowl finish recommends three days of curing after the final finishing step; one brushing lacquer calls for seven days of curing before normal use. But remember that temperature, humidity, and application thickness can stretch those rules. Just to be safe, add a couple of days to any recommendation before putting the finished item to use.
Q. How about so-called salad bowl finishes? Are they any safer for use with food? A. We looked at the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for one type of salad bowl finish and found toluene--a probable cancer hazard--along with naphtha, ethyl benzene, and cobalt, all of which can damage your health with sufficient exposure. So, these products are as safe as, but no safer than, any other cured finish.
Q. Are there other substances that will protect cutting boards and butcher blocks? A. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Products Laboratory suggests melted paraffin wax. Apply as shown above. After it soaks into the wood and dries, scrape off any surface excess with a putty knife.
Photographs: Marty Baldwin; Hetherington Photography
|
Add your comment
Please confirm your comment by answering the question below and clicking "Submit Comment."
Olive Oil or any vegetable oil should not be used as it can go rancid. Wax offers no protection, as soon as you wash it the wax is gone. Mineral Oil is safe but requires frequent application. It's a non-drying oil, every time you touch it you'll get oily fingers. Nut oils (Walnut oil) are safe, are a drying oil but can take months to dry. The last Butcher Block Oil I got was 95% Mineral Oil so read the can. I use Salad Bowl Finish thinned 50% so it soaks into the pores and doesn't build a film.
2/28/2011 03:11:51 PM Report AbuseTry Vaselene. It is a very good finish. I've used it on gun stocks with great results. Apply and rub in just as you would linseed oil.
1/28/2011 06:38:20 PM Report AbuseI've used olive oil for several years with excellent results, plus I have no doubts of it's safety.
1/23/2011 10:41:10 PM Report AbuseI FREQUENTLY USE VEGETABLE BASED COOKING OIL FOR WOODEN FOOD UTENSILS. APPLY, LET SOAK A BIT AND WIPE. REPEAT ASOFTEN AS NECESSARY. LB
1/21/2011 12:51:54 PM Report AbuseI'm a chef by trade, Made a butch block table for home kitchen,and sealing it with mineral oil every so often, works great keeps moisture out and its 123.
1/20/2011 09:42:30 PM Report AbuseSwannee-- I have used pure tung oil and had no regrets. (Canada)
1/20/2011 08:04:12 PM Report AbuseI used to use mineral oil when I first got into making utensils. Then I found Beeswax Butcher Block Conditioner at www.WoodenWonders.ifp3.com This stuff is the best!
1/20/2011 10:38:33 AM Report AbuseMy favorite cutting board project plan: http://www.woodstore.net/encubo.html I make several each year for wedding and holiday gifts. Marlen @ WOOD
1/12/2011 03:31:07 PM Report AbuseI've used several butcher block finishes over the years, but I still prefer Behlen's Salad Bowl Finish. About every year or so, I'll sand down our cutting board (it gets a lot of use in our kitchen) and apply a few more coats of finish. Using this method cutting boards last for decades. The trick is to keep the wood completely sealed so moisture never gets to the wood or glue joints. Marlen @ WOOD
1/12/2011 03:30:31 PM Report AbuseI bought plans for an end-grain cutting board from woodplans. I followed the directions for finishing with oil. I then went to "foodsafe" which says to use paraffin wax. I wish I would have known sooner. as the wax would seal all the end grains from meat juice migrating into the grain.
12/11/2010 04:45:33 PM Report Abuse