A Wonderful Healthy Cutting Board Option

By Cate Cummings APRN, FNP, IFMCP

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

It was time to get a new cutting board. Actually, I had not used a cutting board in a while as we had packed everything up to move to another state. But, we wound up not moving, and, in truth, I had a suspicion that the cutting boards I had been using in the past were not really health promoting because of how they were made.

So, I went searching online for a cutting board made of health promoting materials. I found out that there are a plethora of scary options people could buy for a cutting board – like, plastic cutting boards which may contain the hormone-disrupting chemical, Triclosan [Li H, Zhao Y, Chen L, et al. Triclocarban and Triclosan Inhibit Human Aromatase via Different Mechanisms. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:8284097. doi:10.1155/2017/8284097], or wooden cutting boards glued up with toxic glues like formaldehyde! And, btw, research has found that Triclosan impregnated cutting boards do not provide 100% protection against pathogenic microbes from residing in the cutting board either [Trond Møretrø ¹, Gunn S Høiby-Pettersen, Olivier Habimana, Even Heir, Solveig Langsrud Assessment of the antibacterial activity of a triclosan-containing cutting board. Int J Food Microbiol. 2011 Mar 30;146(2):157-62.doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2011.02.017. Epub 2011 Feb 24].

Wow!, what to do? I kept searching and found a Canadian company that really impressed me. Their name is Urthware and they seem to have made the best choices for all stages of their cutting board production.

I ordered one of the largest cutting boards they make because I am a year-round vegetable gardener in Texas, so cutting vegetables is one of my happy past-times. I ordered the cutting board during the middle of the COVID pandemic and it miraculously arrived here on time and in perfect condition.

Urthware includes very detailed directions as to how to properly take care of the cutting board initially and over the long-term.  When I bought the board I also purchased their three recommended cutting board prep and maintenance items which include 100% Organic Cutting Board Oil, 100% Organic Cutting Board Wax and Cutting Board Scrub. I am glad I bought these items because their care directions point out that anything else would not be ideal to keep the cutting board in excellent condition.

Urthware makes a few different lines of cutting boards. I bought one of Urthware’s Simplicity Series cutting boards which they describe as their ‘flagship creations’. They are made to be the most durable of their entire line and are designed for medium to heavy duty cutting board needs. The wood is ethically harvested within 100 miles of their facility, from one solid section of Canadian Hard (Sugar) Maple so that no glues are used. No antisap coatings such as fungicides or pesticides are applied to the wood when the lumber is milled. In addition, Urthware does not use any petroleum derived finishes or coatings such as Mineral Oil which is commonly used on other cutting boards sold for kitchen use.

The feet for the cutting board are made from all natural gum tree rubber which they hand cut to size. And, for their larger cutting boards to prevent warpage, they insert stainless steel reinforcing rods and stainless steel screws so rusting issues will not occur. To finish these most beautiful boards, they only apply organic food grade finishes like Organic Coconut Oil. They also state that these cutting boards are “very Proudly Made in Canada using living wage practices.” I think they really thought of every way to make a top quality cutting board that is good for everyone concerned.

One of the last things that Urthware notes in their care directions, is that the ideal knife to use for cutting on this board would not have a serrated edge. So, I then bought just the right knife and now I very much enjoy using this beautiful cutting board and I don’t think I will ever have to buy another one because it is going to last a very long time in excellent condition!

Please consider using a non-toxic cutting board for the food you prepare for your family. Urthware is a good company to consider for a health cutting board option!

You  may either buy an Urthware cutting board through them directly, or through BWC For Horse Lovers by following my affiliate urthware link.

Remember, it is best practice to have one cutting board designated for raw meats, seafood, eggs, and poultry, and another cutting board to use for cutting other types of foods like vegetables and fruits.

Enjoy your food more with a safe cutting board!

P.S. In case you read my September blog about my TBI, I am no longer having balance issues from my injury back in late July, 2020! I hope this news helps anyone who needs encouragement because our bodies are very capable of healing many challenges when we provide the right environment. 

Make Your Horse Proud and be well every day in every way! 

Thank you, Cate :)