Sealing a stained cutting board

Question

I recently built a stovetop cover or "noodle board" using a hardwood so it can be used as a cutting surface. I stained it with minwax gel stain and from what i understand it should be food safe once it has cured properly. What i want to know is if it can be sealed with oil or wax once it has been stained.

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 22 '20 at 21:05

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Yes. The extent to which that is "sealed" is debatable, but there's certainly no issue with finishing over cured stain - it's done all the time.

Just stay food safe (and be sure to check with your guests about nut allergies if using something like walnut oil, which is a good food-safe hardening oil, but not great if you have a guest with tree-nut allergies at a very sensitive level...)

answered Sep 22 '20 at 21:05

Ecnerwal

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Good point on the nut allergies and walnut oil.... I would have never thought of that..+1 – JACK Sep 22 '20 at 21:22

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 23 '20 at 01:43

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My dad used to seal all his handmade cutting boards with mineral oil. What I noticed was an odor which I didn’t care for. MOST mineral oils are petroleum based.
I found and use food grade board oil, as well as conditioner. The odor is much more palatable. AND- since I have a huge number of food allergies, much safer than nut based oils.

answered Sep 23 '20 at 01:43

Elizabeth

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Non food-grade mineral oil should absolutely *never* ever be used on a cutting board. Not only does it smell and taste bad, it is also not safe for human consumption due to the presence of heavy metals and toxic organic components. – J... Sep 23 '20 at 10:14
[IARC Group 1 Carcinogens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IARC_Group_1_Agents_-_Carcinogenic_to_humans) - note `Mineral oils, untreated and mildly treated`. – J... Sep 23 '20 at 11:57

Sealing a stained cutting board

2 Answers2