Thread: Recycled Timber - Food Safety

I guess it depends on the timbers original use, if its timber studs for example....
I personally wouldn't want to eat off a board that might be contaminated with rat droppings, asbestos, lead paint, insect fumigation etc etc.

Originally Posted by Kuffy

I guess it depends on the timbers original use, if its timber studs for example....
I personally wouldn't want to eat off a board that might be contaminated with rat droppings, asbestos, lead paint, insect fumigation etc etc.

Hmmm... How much material woul dneed ot be removed from the original surface to negate this risk? rat droppings, asbestos and lead paint I would think a pass through the thickneser would be sufficient, but I am not sure that would be the case. No idea about fumigation. But what about chemical sprays that may have been picked up by the tree that "new" timber is milled from? What guarantee that is not contaminated in some way too?

Cheers

Doug

This is virtually identical to a post that was started a while back.

My views are still the same , if you are happy to eat food prepaerd on it then do so but would personally forget about making them to sell commercially.You just do not know what the timber could be potentially contaminated with.

Originally Posted by Kuffy

I guess it depends on the timbers original use, if its timber studs for example....
I personally wouldn't want to eat off a board that might be contaminated with rat droppings, asbestos, lead paint, insect fumigation etc etc.

I have no idea of the timbers original use, and just looking at it, it looks "new".
I picked up the pieces from a salvage yard in Adelaide (Adelaide Rural Salvage) for some other ( non food ) projects. It looks like they were all cut out of a larger piece.
All the sides look like new except the ends. It is heavy redwood. It was all stored inside with tree slices they sell for tables.

Rat droppings, asbestos and lead paint I don't think would be an issue. I think it would be more any chemicals used to treat the timers.
Do timber chemicals penetrate deep into hardwood?
If it is in the wood, and the timber is treated with the correct cutting board oils, would that prevent anything from getting out?

Or is it just not worth the risk?

Edit: Just looking on their website, I didn't realise they sold new timbers also. This may actually be new anyway.
I guess I should give them a call.
I am still curious as to peoples opinion on recycled timber food safety though.

Originally Posted by duke149

I have no idea of the timbers original use, and just looking at it, it looks "new".
I picked up the pieces from a salvage yard in Adelaide (Adelaide Rural Salvage) for some other ( non food ) projects. It looks like they were all cut out of a larger piece.
All the sides look like new except the ends. It is heavy redwood. It was all stored inside with tree slices they sell for tables.

Rat droppings, asbestos and lead paint I don't think would be an issue. I think it would be more any chemicals used to treat the timers.
Do timber chemicals penetrate deep into hardwood?.

It depends on the type of wood and whether the stuff has been painted on or soaked in it or soaked under pressure.
Even under pressure chemicals will not penetrate that far.
eg http://www.woodsolutions.com.au/Arti...r-Preservation

Rat and Roach droppings are likely to be more of a problem after construction i.e. in cupboards.
Same with lead, especially around an old house.

I'd say by far the greatest risk of using any chopping board are biological hazards from not washing cutting boards after cutting up meat and then cutting vegetables.

commercial treatments penetrate sapwood, and only leave a "skin" of treated surface on most heart woods.
the exception to that is long cycle treatments in organic salts - usually borates - for fire retardance. That's okay though.... Those same salts occur naturally in quite a few common vegetables at higher levels then they occur in treated boards.