Plastic Cutting Board Safety: Phthalates, Microplastics, BPA

Dr. Mudgal, toxicologist, and I review the toxicity of plastic and silicone cutting boards and look at the risks of phthalates, metals, BPA, and microplastics (as well as micro rubber) for each type of plastic/rubber.

Dr. Hansprabha Mudgal is a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT, UKRT). She has a PhD in Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management and a Master’s Degree in Toxicology.

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Concerns About Microplastics in Cutting Boards

Which cutting boards produce microplastics

All plastic cutting boards (including polyethylene, polypropylene, and TPU) inevitably release microplastics through regular usage, such as cutting and abrasion.

Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, typically ranging from micrometers to millimeters.

The exact amount produced varies with factors such as the hardness of the plastic, frequency of use, and sharpness of knives (source).

How much microplastic is produced

Recent experimental data show that chopping food on plastic cutting boards releases roughly 1500–2500 particles per cutting event.

Over a year, this could add up to tens of millions of particles per household (source).

Effects of microplastics

Dr. Mudal explains:

Ingesting microplastics through food contamination is the primary route of exposure, raising potential health concerns, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption, says Dr. Mudgal.

Earlier assessments (WHO 2019, EFSA 2021) concluded health risks were plausible but unproven.

More recent studies strengthen the link: microplastics have been detected in human blood (source), placenta and lungs (source; source), and in arterial plaques, where their presence correlated with increased cardiovascular risk (source), explains Dr. Mudgal

Animal studies continue to show developmental, reproductive, and immune effects.

Regulators still call the overall evidence ‘emerging,’ says Dr. Mudgal, but the case is moving beyond purely theoretical.

Indirect effects

Ingested microplastics can carry adsorbed contaminants and additives, like phthalates, if present in the plastic.

Bacteria

Scratches can also become breeding grounds for bacteria over time.

Though they can easily be sanitized with HOCL, most people don’t do this.

1. Polyethylene

The most common type of plastic used to make cutting boards is polyethylene.

This is the safest plastic for cutting boards, in our opinion, due to the lack of additives/contaminants like phthalates, metals, or BPA.

VOCs

Polyethylene is a durable, non-toxic plastic that won’t leach or off-gas any significant VOCs.

It generally does not have an odor.

These cutting boards work for many chemically sensitive folks who primarily want to avoid odors and VOCs.

BPA and Phthalates

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) cutting boards are not known to contain BPA or phthalates (source) or other plasticizers.

However, I certainly would not go for a board made of recycled plastic, as that greatly increases the chances of contaminants of concern.

Microplastics

Polyethyene boards produce microplastics when knife marks are created.

See the introduction for risks.

2. Polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) cutting boards are another option.

PP is used in many food storage applications, and they make for very affordable cutting boards (this PP cutting board is the least expensive option in all of my articles on cutting boards).

VOCs

Rigid PP is odorless and generally does not off-gas significant VOCs.

Phthalates

PP plastics are not known to contain added BPA or phthalates (source), but they can contain trace contamination of phthalates (source), and that does concern us a little.

I would not go for a board made of recycled plastic (of any kind), as that does increase the contaminant risk.

Are phthalates a risk even in trace amounts?

Yes, says Dr. Mudgal, even trace levels of phthalates may pose risks due to endocrine-disrupting properties.

Chronic exposure can contribute to hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, and developmental concerns, particularly during pregnancy or early life stages, she says (source; source; source; source).

Microplastics

There is a risk of microplastic production.

See the risks in the intro.

3. Wheat Straw

Wheat Straw cutting boards = Polypropylene

Wheat Straw cutting boards are a mix of natural wheat straw and plastic; all of the ones I have looked at were polypropylene, so I would put them in the same category as polypropylene above.

While some of them claim to be an “alternative to plastic,” all of them look like plastic-wheat composites to me.

Same risks as above, they just contain a little less plastic than 100% plastic boards.

4. TPU

TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) cutting boards are made from a PVC-free TPU plastic.

Phthalates and plasticizers

Some grades do contain plasticizers like phthalates, though it’s not always clear which TPU products are certainly 100% phthalate-free. (Source, source, source, source)

For applications where phthalates would be a bigger risk, such as children’s toys and food contact surfaces, di-isononyl-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (Hexamoll DINCH from BASF) may be used as the plasticizer (source; source).

TPU can contain other plasticizers as well (source).

Certifications and phthalates

REACH compliance typically indicates the absence or minimal presence (below regulatory thresholds) of specific restricted phthalates (e.g., DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, DNOP), but it does not ensure that no other phthalates or plasticizers are present.

Several grades of TPU comply with food-contact regulations (UNE EN 1186-5) and medical standards.

This means they have been deemed suitable for direct food contact and medical applications.

UNE EN 1186-5 does not automatically guarantee the absence of phthalates or other plasticizers.

It only shows that, if phthalates (or other additives) are present, their migration is below regulatory thresholds considered safe for food contact.

Risks of phthalates (TPU):

Phthalate exposure through ingestion or food contact may disrupt endocrine function, potentially affecting reproductive health, hormonal balance, and development, says Dr. Mudgal (source; source).

Bisphenols

TPU is often listed as being free of bisphenols (source), but TPU can be made with bisphenol A (source and source).

(Though it is not the norm, from what I understand.)

If bisphenols were present, it is linked to many health concerns outlined here.

Microplastics

Yes, TPU also creates microplastics. See risks in the introduction.

The best TPU cutting boards

If you did go with a TPU cutting board, it would be better to go with hard TPU boards instead of soft, flexible ones (to reduce plasticizer content) that have REACH or food-safe certification.

5. Silicone

Silicone is technically a rubber, not a plastic, but I’m going to include it here.

Metals

Silicone usually contains very low amounts of Cadmium, which is a contaminant of the colorants or manufacturing process, and it can contain very low amounts of Antimony, according to Tamara Rubin, who has tested many silicone products.

The levels of these metals are very low, so we don’t rule it out completely (I use silicone cooking utensils), but I don’t think it’s technically as good as my three top choices at the end of the article.

Risk of Cadmium and Antimony at low levels:

At trace levels typically found in food-grade silicone, the risk is very low and generally considered negligible.

Chronic exposure at such minimal concentrations is not expected to produce measurable health effects (source), Dr. Mudgal says, though caution is advised for highly sensitive individuals.

What about micro-rubber?

Silicone doesn’t produce microplastics, but it can produce particles of micro- and nano-rubber upon repeated abrasion or cutting.

Silicone cutting boards don’t abrade as much as plastic ones, though. You won’t see knife marks as easily, for example.

Silicone particles are considered more inert. Health risks from micro-silicone ingestion are therefore considered lower than microplastic, though more research is needed, says Dr. Mudgal (source).

Best silicone cutting boards:

Platinum-cured, food-grade silicone products are best (source).

Summary

For individuals concerned about microplastics, silicone cutting boards might be preferable to plastic due to their lower chemical reactivity and micro-rubber, not micro-plastic risk (compared to the plastic boards).

Additionally, silicone may also offer advantages over paper-composite boards, which carry formaldehyde concerns for sensitive folks.

Polyethylene could be used by those more concerned about contaminants like metals, phthalates, and BPA, and VOCs, but who are less concerned about microplastics.

Otherwise, these are my top three choices below…

My three Top cutting boards in terms of purity are:

• Solid wood that is a one-piece slab (no glues), that has a non-toxic finish or needs no finish at all, like Hinoki cyprus.
• Real titanium cutting boards. Not as bad on knives as they sound (I tried it out and so did a reader), but only one brand (Taima) that I know of has the test results to show it’s real titanium (almost all the boards advertised as titanium are actually steel, or potentially alloys with zinc or aluminum, which are not necessarily food safe).
• Paper-composite. I use an Epicurean cutting board as my main cutting board. It is made from paper, dyes, and formaldehyde. The formaldehyde off-gassing is within background air limits (and does air out after a few weeks). It is plastic-free.

See a more detailed review of these top picks here.

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.