A Brief Look At A Color-coded Cutting Board

The importance of a clean kitchen is something everyone knows. When preparing food it is necessary to use clean utensils and surfaces so the bad bacteria from one food doesn't contaminate another. The biggest culprit in cross contamination is a cutting board. Many people don't realize they should use one board for each type of food they are preparing. That is why color-coded boards are handy in the kitchen to prevent cross contamination in food.

Each food type needs to be cut on a different board. You can't cut raw meat on the same board you cut cooked meat. Just like you can't cut vegetables on the same board you cut raw poultry. Having the boards color-coded allows you to keep track of which board to use for each type of food. That way you are less likely to cut your fruit on a board you used to cut steak.

Connecting colors to a certain type of food is an easy and simple process to follow and creates a system that is easy to remember. Every color is already assigned a certain food type, making it easy for workers in a restaurant to recall which board to use. For home use, you could assign your own food types to colors as long as you bear in mind that you need to note this so you don't forget.

There are six different colors associated with six different types of food. You have: tan, green, red, yellow, white, and blue colors. These are assigned to: fruits and vegetables, cooked meat, raw meat, raw poultry, raw fish and seafood, and dairy. At first you'll want to use a color chart, which can be hung on a wall or in a cabinet, so you don't forget which color goes with what. The more you use the boards, the more it will come natural to you when selecting one.

Blue boards are matched with raw fish and seafood and should be used when handling those. To remember this, keep in mind that the ocean is blue and there are fish in the ocean. Yellow boards are assigned to raw poultry and need to be used when working with that type of food. To help you keep this in mind, picturing yellow baby chicks and ducks will help.

Red boards are associated with raw meats and should be chosen when working with that. Since the majority of meat prepared is red, that is an easy color to associate with meat. Tan boards are assigned to cooked meats. The best way to associate the two is to think about how a good piece of meat is browned to seal in its flavors and juices.

Working with and preparing vegetables and fruits should be done using a green board. To help remember that, think of green as freshness and the color of salad and fresh vegetables. Dairy products use a board that seems to be an obvious choice, white. This is the easiest one to keep in mind as dairy products are made from milk, and milk is white.

Using a color-coded cutting board is important in preventing cross contamination during food preparation. The assigned colors are easy to remember or you can choose your own assignments. It is important to always wash the board after each use and to use separate knives and utensils when preparing for safety reasons. As these boards are made of laminated plastic they are easy to store with most of them coming in their own stand for easy selection.