cutting board ?

[jestridge]

USP-grade mineral oil is a popular choice as it is the cheapest pure [COLOR=brown! important][COLOR=brown! important]food-grade[/COLOR][/COLOR] oil you can buy (do not use vegetable or olive oils because they can turn rancid). Mineral oil remains safe throughout its life. There are various oils available for cutting boards and butcher blocks. Some are called "Butcher Block Finishes" or "Mystery Oil." Save some money by visiting the local hardware or drug store and purchasing Mineral Oil. (not mineral spirits - this is paint thinner).

When you see the words "food safe finish" in a description of a wood product, this generally means mineral oil has been used. Simply wipe mineral oil on the surface of your board and watch it soak in. When the wood won't take any more oil, you can wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth. Don't worry about applying too much oil - more is better.

 

[jestridge]

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Is it OK to use a wooden cutting board?
Yes! While there has been some debate over whether plastic is better, it is safe to use a wooden cutting board for food preparation.
Poisonous bacteria can exist in raw meat, but they will be killed if the meat is properly cooked. A possibility of food poisoning arises when these bacteria are transferred to uncooked foods during meal preparation. For example, this “cross-contamination” could occur when vegetables for a salad are cut on a board that was previously used for cutting infected chicken.
The question is whether wooden or plastic cutting boards are more likely to harbor harmful bacteria, even after being cleaned. Some have suggested that it is “just common sense” that a porous material like wood would be harder to keep clean than plastic. It turns out that testing does not necessarily support this assumption. In fact, some studies have suggested that used wooden cutting boards are less friendly to bacteria than used plastic boards. Other studies have shown plastic to be slightly easier to clean.
One of the more recent studies on this issue concluded that wood and plastic are about the same in terms of food safety, and that other factors – e.g. price and durability – will be more important when choosing a cutting board. And the Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Code states that “hard maple or an equivalently hard, close-grained wood” may be used for cutting boards and other restaurant food equipment.
Regardless of what material you choose, the following steps are recommended: use different cutting surfaces for raw foods that require cooking and wash and dry your cutting boards after use.
I also went to FDA web site it said basically the same thing