Red Cedar--as a cutting board?

[Jeff Mohr]

I've always used aromatic eastern red cedar for making small boxes and cedar chests. A while back I was at a craft show where a woman was selling end grain cutting boards made out of the stuff as well as various spatulas and other utensils. She said her husband made them for her to sell with all her pastry supplies and claimed red cedar was great for dough and other aspects of the pastry business. Unfortunately, her husband was not at the show so I could not ask him various questions about the use of red ceder.

So...

I will ask all of you!

What are your opinions/knowledge on using red cedar for any kind of food contact use? Cutting boards? Kitchen utensils? Etc?

[Cody Colston]

It's not going to poison anyone but it won't hold up very well, either...it's too soft.

[Jim Finn]

Yes cedar is way too soft. I know it is poison to bugs so I personaly would not want to eat it.

[Jeff Mohr]

It's not going to poison anyone but it won't hold up very well, either...it's too soft.

Yes cedar is way too soft. I know it is poison to bugs so I personaly would not want to eat it.

Yeah...the soft part would most definitely be a problem...but I, too, was wondering more about the poison part of it...all the oils, etc.

[ray hampton]

if cedar are poison for bugs--WILL it also kill bacteria from
the meat and vegetables

[Steve Jenkins]

I know that a cedar board is good to cook possum on. You spice up the meat with garlic, pepper,salt and onions and bake it on the board for about 2 hours at 275 then toss out the possum and eat the cedar.

[Cody Colston]

I know that a cedar board is good to cook possum on. You spice up the meat with garlic, pepper,salt and onions and bake it on the board for about 2 hours at 275 then toss out the possum and eat the cedar.

The oils in Aromatic Cedar will sometimes kill the "emerging" larvae of the Wool Moth. Once the larvae are fully hatched, it has little effect on them and no effect on adult moths or any other bugs.

I cut down a large, standing, dead Cedar tree a couple of years ago. It died because Carpenter Ants had eaten away the heartwood and inhabited it. The oils didn't bother them a bit.

Some people are sensitive to Aromatic Cedar dust but I don't think solid Cedar, even in contact with food is going to hurt anyone.

However, if you think it is dangerous, don't use it for food contact. It's a poor wood choice for that application, anyway.

[Jeff Mohr]

However, if you think it is dangerous, don't use it for food contact. It's a poor wood choice for that application, anyway.

I tend to agree...hence the questions here....I found it odd that the lady at the show had them for pastry use. I thought maybe I was missing something that the rest of the woodworkers knew.

[Justin Bukoski]

Cedar Planked Salmon is a common dish out here in the PacNW so no problems with Western Red Cedar.

I wouldn't want to eat anything that had been in contact with aromatic cedar personally...

[ray hampton]

people cook bread and pizzas on wooden board in a big oven
but I forgot what type of wood that they used

[Jeff Mohr]

Thanks for all the replies....looks like I wasn't crazy when I took a second look at the cutting boards. For a second I thought I had missed out on a great use for red cedar.