In today's food safety conscious society, particularly after the recent foot and mouth and horse meat scares, it's crucial that wood finishes, particularly those that are in contact with food and children are safe.
Babies and small children are particularly vulnerable, as they have a tendency to explore the world through their mouths.
Babies and small children are particularly vulnerable, as they have a tendency to explore the world through their mouths.
Wood Stain Application
Water based paints such as emulsion and also wood stains are probably less likely to contain harmful compounds, such as solvents, pesticides and herbicides, than say gloss paint, or lacquer finishes.
But paints and lacquers can flake off, especially on porous surfaces so it's important that they're as stable as possible.
If wood is to be in contact with food the safest option is to leave the surface unfinished.
Wood packaging products such as food hamper boxes, cheese boards and cheese safes are usually made from a hard, robust wood like Beech, that is finely sanded for ease of cleaning and left 'raw' for complete 100 % food safety protection.
Harrods 'Fromagerie' Cheese Safe & Cheese Board
(Made from natural unfinished Beech)
However, unfinished wood tends to get grubby very quickly, so the surface can be finished with an edible oil to draw out the natural warmth and beauty of the wood and to protect it from finger marks.
Manufacturing wood presentation boxes means that Polmac (UK) Ltd sources a large amount of wood, mostly Linden and Alder, although other woods are also used.
We never use wood from timber suppliers where it may contain harmful additives such as preservatives. All Polmac wood is obtained from sustainable and managed sources, as rough hewn planks, straight from a reputable, local saw mill. In this way, we can guarantee the quality of our customized, wood packaging products.
There are few wood finishes that every person agrees are completely food safe. However, some people regard all wood finishes as potentially harmful, mainly because manufacturers label their wood products as being food-safe, which implies that other finishes are not!
Therefore, a lot of energy may be expended arguing about food safety issues where in fact none really exists.
However, to be absolutely certain that wood finishes are completely food safe, they must also be properly cured. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 30 days for wood finishes to cure properly
Polmac (UK) Ltd uses branded lacquer and paint finishes that are certified as being food safe, unless otherwise specified.
However, if you're still concerned, or unsure about the food compatibility of wood finishes, then our advice is avoid using any type of wood finish altogether.
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