• You need a chopping board that both services the knife and is as hygienic as possible

• The Department of Health requires all food service industry places to use colour coded chopping boards to prevent cross contamination

• It has been scientifically tested and proven in the United States that wooden chopping boards are safer and more hygienic than plastic chopping boards. The reason being that wooden chopping boards have a natural tannin in them that acts as an anti-bacterial agent

• Wooden chopping boards are less harmful to your knife than plastic or marble chopping boards

• On plastic boards, sharp knives create a feathering on the surface. Bacteria can get caught in these crevasses and there is no way of removing it

• If you do use plastic chopping boards, ensure that they are scrubbed very clean so the bacteria can't remain in them

• If you have wooden chopping boards, the most important thing is to dry them properly. They must be washed and scrubbed very well, then switch your oven on for 5 minutes on low heat to warm it up. Switch your oven off and place the chopping boards inside until they dry

• Every so often, rub the chopping board down with a neutral oil—grape seed oil is good

• Do not put wooden chopping boards in the dishwasher as the glue deteriorates

• Use a paste of baking soda and water to clean and deodorise wooden chopping boards

• Use one teaspoon of bleach to one teaspoon of water for plastic boards. Saturate the surface and let it stand for 5 minutes, then rinse and dry them off completely

• Store your chopping boards in a rack so there is air flow between them

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