The Safest, Healthiest Type of Cutting Board for Chicken, According to a Microbiologist — Shopping

I hate to tell you this, but your cutting board is right up there with your sponge and sink in terms of the dirtiest places in your kitchen. "There's more fecal bacteria on a cutting board than on a toilet," says Dr. Chuck Gerba, a professor of microbiology at University of Arizona.

That's because cutting boards come into contact with all sorts of food in various stages, from raw to cooked and unwashed to clean. And much of the time, people just rinse it off, says Gerba, instead of taking the time to fully disinfect the cutting board.

When it comes to chicken, that fun-slash-yucky fact can turn into a health hazard. Because raw chicken and its juices can harbor bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens that lead to foodborne illnesses, you need to be extra careful about what cutting board you use to prepare chicken.

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