This is a generic bamboo cutting board purchased in 2019 from a discount home goods store, probably Marshalls or Tuesday Morning. It has no obvious stain or finish, but it is glued together. This has been our family go-to cutting board for over two years. We diced fruits and vegetables on this board to prepare baby food, after we were concerned by a report from the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy about heavy metals in baby food. This simple bamboo board has been a useful non-toxic tool for hundreds of meals and we have washed it an equal number of times in a stainless steel sink by hand. Our cutting utensils are lead free and stainless steel.
This board consistently tested positive for 5 to 10 parts per million lead using xrf. Is that a big deal, some of you may ask? Isn’t 5-10 parts per million safe because it falls within child’s toy standards and is under 90 parts per million?
Unfortunately, and as with many examples from our xrf testing, the safety of using a product with lead has a lot to do with the material, whether it is leach tested, and how it is used. A cutting board is a food prep surface. This board developed deep scratches over time. Literally what makes up a cutting board ends up in food we consume, at trace levels that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
The Congressional report showed concern with a baby food manufacturer whose products tested above 5 parts per billion lead. Five parts per million lead in a cutting board is 5,000 parts per billion lead. Ten parts per million is 10,000 parts per billion lead. And so on. Washing and using the board regularly doesn’t seem to have impacted the lead reading, so it is likely present throughout the product.
Where is the lead coming from?
The lead appears to be consistent through the board whether it is on the edge or near the center, whether it has knife scores or has never been cut. We suspect the lead is a trace contaminant in the resin used to glue and assemble the product. We suspect this is a rare outlier since other examples of bamboo we have tested are lead free.
The world is full of millions of things made in millions of ways. Trace contamination may occur in this or any other product, and the manufacturer may not be aware of it. Secondly, this is a generic product from China, purchased at a discount store where information surrounding glues and finishes is a total mystery.
Since this is an item that we use to prepare food, we will be throwing it away and buying a new one. If this were an art print or a piece of home decor, we would be quite comfortable with something containing this trace level of lead.
Better Options
One of the challenges of screening products with xrf is that it is hard to make generalizations about consumer goods due to the variability of materials, processing, and business oversight. Bamboo is typically free of heavy metals.
Although we do not generally object to use of bamboo utensils or kitchen items, and we do not recommend throwing out your bamboo cutting board based on the results of this test, we might suggest considering a non-bamboo option when it comes time to replace your cutting board, especially if you use a generic product where the manufacturer may not test their component materials. That being said, lead at this level is a trace contaminant and not a known additive.
We will be purchasing a cutting board made from one solid piece of wood, with no added glues or finishes. Clear glass is also a great option. We also believe most glued wood cutting boards are fine. Here are some examples of better cutting boards, including some made in the United States from hardwood. A woodworker should be able to create one from scratch. If you do go the handmade route, please avoid purchasing items made from reclaimed wood, which can contain heavy metals and preservatives not approved for food contact.
Disclaimer: these are Amazon links, when you purchase any item on Amazon starting with our link we receive a small commission that helps support our business and continue to make our testing publicly available. Thank you.
Better Cutting Boards
Maple Landmark Solid Maple Cutting Board (13 Inches) – Made in USA
Why We Like It: This cutting board is made in Vermont from solid maple, not glued panels, and has no finishes. It is made by one of our favorite toy manufacturers, Maple Landmark.
Farberware – 78624-10 Farberware Glass Utility Cutting Board, 12-Inch-by-14-Inch, 12″ x 14″, Clear
Why We Like It: This simple glass cutting board by a recognized brand is easy to sanitize and a great option. We’ve had some trouble with the feet coming off so we removed the feet from ours.