Thread: Food safe wood?

Don't know about the other timbers but we use Camphor Laurel for cutting boards, usually oiled with Macadamia oil. EEE is ok for the outside. I'm sure others know a lot more about this and will reply soon.

Forget all that as the red gum came from a fence post and have been informed that possibly treated in its early days with creosote, and the white ash was from a crate and possibly treated with an insecticide so back to the drawing board I go. Although the red gum was from the 60's/70's and the part of the post between the rails ie above ground, it's better to steer clear. Same with the white ash. Hmmmmmm, when in doubt don't, would be the best bet.

Can't see any reason why those timbers should not be fine as for the finish there would be many thousand's of salt/pepper mills finished with EEE and shellwax

Theres an interesting discussion on wood toxicity in this thread
https://www.woodworkforums.com/archiv.../t-186735.html

The first post has a link to a list of woods and their effects that you might end useful

In Post number 58 in that thread I calculate that on average a 20kg child would need to eat at least 107 toothpicks worth of one of the most poisonous woods in Australia (Cooktown Ironwood) to die from eating this wood. Interestingly dogs only need to eat about 4 tooth picks worth. Of course it does not means someone would not be allergic or would not get sick from 1/2 a toothpicks worth. But then again around 10% of people are allergic to lots of different woods in one form or another.

Still better to be safe than sorry and use ones that seem to produce the least known effects.

Originally Posted by Fumbler

I am about to turn a matching salt and pepper mill for an engagement present, which timbers are safe to use? Actually it's probably easier if I tell you which timbers I am using and ask if they are safe to use. Figured nothern box(I think), white oak, Queensland red gum. Or are there timbers specific timbers I should stay away from? Also can I finish the outside with EEE, then shellawax glow? Or do I need a food safe finish even though it's only on the outside, not inside?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi fumbler, could you not just turn as normal and then seal the Inside ?
I am sure eee and glow would be fine for the outside !
There also Is a food safe oil by u beaut a sponser here if in any doubt
use there product , .....hope this helps

Luckily i have only laminated the woods at this stage, its a shame as its all beautiful timber but it was free so no love lost. But for my own piece of mind I may try and get it tested to be sure, and save it for another day. As much as smiife mentioned sealing the inside and the minute chance mentioned by BobL, I wouldn't like to be the cause of anyone's illness.

Honestly - a peppermill is very low risk compared to a cutting board or a salad bowl.. I might stay away from stuff that has really strong smells and very oily woods. You see Cocobolo rosewood pepper mills and it doesnt cause problems.... And if any wood might cause problems - its that one...

Originally Posted by Fumbler

As much as smiife mentioned sealing the inside and the minute chance mentioned by BobL, I wouldn't like to be the cause of anyone's illness.

I agree - it's no big deal to stay away from woods that are known to have problems.

BTW Most people don't realise that bulk pepper corns are permitted to have a certain amount of dried fecal matter along with it, apparently the processing does not remove it all so a limit is set that is thought to have a low risk. I reckon the risk from the fecal matter would probably outweigh the risk from the toxicity of the wood

Originally Posted by BobL

BTW Most people don't realise that bulk pepper corns are permitted to have a certain amount of dried fecal matter along with it

Thanks for that Bob!!! I really didn't need to know that bit of information

It is true, you do learn something new everyday. Now I'll think twice when I grind pepper on my mushrooms on toast.

going back to chemicals in the wood, after some investigating, it appears the crate could be the issue not the potential of creosote in the Queensland red gum as 1. The part was 50cm above ground. 2. The wood is that dense that it wouldn't have soaked in very far. And 3. It was so weathered on the outside the elements would have broken it down long ago. The crate however, I'm not so sure. So candle stock holders / tea light holders, or more spectacular tool handles it is.

Originally Posted by Oddy

Thanks for that Bob!!! I really didn't need to know that bit of information

It reminds me of a business trip I took to Sarawak back in the early 90's. From there I was going on to Europe for a conference and also stopping off to see Italian rellies for a few days. I was at the air port in Kuching and realised I needed some sort of small "thank you" present for my elderly Aunt who was going to put me up. I wondered into a spice shop where there were many cheap bulk bags of spices etc. Aunt was am excellent cook and had even run her own restaurant for many years but I was unsure as to what her spice preference might be so I settled on a 2kg bag of peppercorns.

When I gave it to her she was fascinated by the amount and placed it on her kitchen dresser to show it off to other visitors. She also asked me to read the label. That's when I stumbled across "product contains no more than maximum permissible mammalian fecal matter" in small print. I didn't read that to her, but I did notice the half dozen or so times I visited over the next two decades the bag remained full and on the kitchen dresser. Maybe someone else read the label to her?

Oh yeh - one more thing. Did you know a good reason to put the toilet seat down before flushing is that leaving the seat up fills the room with fine water droplets containing decal matter. There was a study on toothbrushes in bathrooms with toilets done a few years ago and they found every exposed toothbrush that was more than a couple of days in use had fecal matter on it. SWMBO found out about this so I compromised and put the toothbrushes inside the bathroom cabinet,

I have said it before and will say it again, I think people over react to the "food safety" of finished timber products, they have been used for generations as food containers. The toxicity of woods referred to above is for working timbers and ingesting/breathing in the fine dusts and allergic reactions etc. For a finished item it is extremely unlikely you will get a reaction let alone die for touching it. Many pens are made from all sorts of timbers and I have never heard of any massive reactions.

As for pepper grinders, I coat the inside of the grinders with a number of coats of U-Beaut's Hard Shellac, a food safe hard wearing product. This is more about ensuring the pepper/salt etc is not contaminated with sawdust more than worrying about it being food safe. The outside I finish with NCL like the majority of the wooden products I make.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I have said it before and will say it again, I think people over react to the "food safety" of finished timber products, they have been used for generations as food containers.

Not to mention drinking containers with liquids like wine that are naturally acidic and able to leach all manner of stuff out of timber.

[QUOTE=dai sensei;2021475 The toxicity of woods referred to above is for working timbers and ingesting/breathing in the fine dusts and allergic reactions etc.

Thanks Neil, i was initially concerned with the timber, now its more that some of the timber I am using may have been soaked in creosote at one point (as an old fence post) and the old palate treated with insecticide as was year ago. it was brought to my attention so i have decided not to use for this job. Don't want to slowly poison a couple as an engagement present.