Last November, two scientific studies on wood and food safety were presented at the 66th FEFPEB Congress in Cork and the 29th Congress of the European Federation of Science and Food Technology (EFFoST) in Athens. The studies demonstrated the beneficial antimicrobial properties of wood species such as pine and poplar, when compared to smooth synthetic materials, including plastics.
In Cork, a presentation was given on the conclusions of a three-year research initiative by the “EMABOIS” consortium, composed of 27 research projects.
EMABois carried out thousands of tests and validated methods and protocols for the microbiological and chemical analysis of wood. The results confirmed the microbiological and chemical safety of wooden surfaces in contact with fresh products such as fruits and vegetables.
As other recent studies have shown, there is a higher antimicrobial effect on wood by physical inhibition on species of wood, including spruce, pine and poplar. It concluded that its porosity is an advantage in this regard against other materials in contact with food and considered as "smooth", such as plastic.
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With regard to the migration of natural wood molecules, the EMABois consortium concluded that particularly natural, volatile, organic compounds are involved, but their transfer to food is limited, meaning they are safe for the consumer.
