Are Plastic Cutting Boards Safe?

Long ago, humans chopped and ground meats and vegetables on natural surfaces like rocks . Eventually, we decided to trade these slab stones for wooden cutting boards . More recently, many home chefs, restaurants, and food producers have switched to plastic boards for convenience, lighter weight, and cost-effectiveness.

But recent research points to a potential downside: the cutting action of knives causes plastic boards to release tiny pieces, called microplastics, into the chopped-up food. Whether these fragments of plastic affect health likely depends on many factors that continue to be studied.

Here’s what researchers say about plastic boards and whether you should replace them with another material.

What happens to the plastic in your cutting board?

Emerging research suggests