Cutting Board Color Chart: Guide to Food Safety & Kitchen Efficiency

With so many different ingredients involved in fast-paced commercial kitchens, cross contamination is a constant worry. Whether it be dietary preferences, allergies, or foodborne illnesses, cross contamination can be a deadly byproduct of rushing through meal preparation. To combat this worry, many commercial foodservice establishments turn to color-coded systems to help keep different types of food from overlapping. This system can be applied to knives, utensils, storage bins, and cleaning implements, but perhaps the most common color-coded items are cutting boards.

In a color-coded system, each color of chopping board is assigned to a specific type of food. This lets the kitchen staff know exactly what has been prepared on a particular board, ensuring a cooked piece of chicken isn't laid on the same board where the raw chicken was prepped or a dish that was prepared with a specific allergy in mind remains safe to consume. Learn about typical color-coded cutting board systems below.

Key Takeaways

• Color-coded cutting boards help prevent cross contamination in busy kitchens
• Each color is assigned a specific food group to maintain clear separation
• Standardized colors simplify staff training
• Printed charts reinforce HACCP and health code compliance
• Clear visual systems improve kitchen efficiency and organization

Standard Cutting Board Colors & Their Use

Red: Raw Meat

• Prevents bacteria from raw beef, pork, or chicken from interacting with ready-to-eat foods
• Critical for controlling pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella

Yellow: Cooked Meat

• Dedicated surface for prepared proteins ensures there's no interaction with bacteria from raw meat
• Follows HACCP practices by creating a dedicated post-cooking handling zone

Blue: Raw Fish & Seafood

• Helps limit contact with other raw proteins to control Listeria bacteria or other parasites
• Ensures strong odors and flavors associated with seafood don't transfer to other dishes

Green: Fruits & Vegetables

• Protects fresh produce from contamination by contact with raw proteins
• Ensures milder vegetables don't take on the transfer of strong flavors

White: Dairy & Bakery Products

• Prevents contamination from bacteria associated with raw protein
• Helps prevent cross-contact with other dishes for customers with gluten or dairy allergies

Brown: Root Vegetables

• Keeps dense items like potatoes and carrots from damaging other cutting boards
• Provides a dedicated prep space for peeling hearty vegetables

Purple: Allergen-Free Food

• Isolates the preparation of allergen-free dishes to ensure customer safety
• Ensures common allergens such as nuts, gluten, and dairy haven't contacted the board

Why Use a Cutting Board Color Chart?

• Reduces cross contamination by separating raw, cooked, and allergen-sensitive foods
• Improves food safety in compliance with HACCP guidelines and health regulations
• Simplifies staff training with easy-to-recognize color assignments
• Enhances kitchen efficiency by streamlining food prep

How to Use and Display Cutting Board Charts in the Kitchen

• Use large, bold color swatches next to each food group label for quick recognition
• Keep the layout simple and uncluttered, using one row per color for easy scanning
• Use a laminated, wipeable cutting board color chart that can hold up in messy kitchens
• Place the chart at eye level in prep stations, dish areas, and storage areas
• Print multiple copies
• Reinforce training by ensuring colors on the chart match the cutting boards being used

Implementing the System with Staff

• Introduce the color-coded system during onboarding and training
• Provide a hands-on demo to show the uses for each board color
• Offer regular reminders and refreshers; correct mistakes in real time
• Label and organize each board by color in storage

Shop Color-Coded Cutting Boards at KaTom Today

At KaTom, we offer all manner of cutting boards, covering everything from plastic to wooden options. Shop color-coded cutting boards to replace a colored board or add a new color to your rotation. Sets offering as many as six colors are also available to kickstart the use of color-coded cutting boards in your kitchen.