# Food Safe Finish



## seanybaby (11 Dec 2009)

Just made a few cheese boards for xmas.

I think i read on this forum that Danish oil was ok for food stuff. It did make me think if that is correct though? Any ideas?

I'm thinking an oil is the way to go. Maybe something natural like linseed?

The boards will just be wiped down after use, and not "washed".


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## CHJ (11 Dec 2009)

*Liquid Paraffin BP*, would be my choice for not imparting any residual flavour, the lighter versions from the likes of Chestnut (Food Safe Oil) dry off quicker but the version from the Local chemist works. If you don't consider IKEA as a swear word their version is somewhere in between in viscosity.


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## MikeG. (11 Dec 2009)

Olive oil.

Don't listen to people who says it goes rancid........it doesn't. You can't get anything more food-safe than that, and it is a nice colour, too.

Mike


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## Ironballs (11 Dec 2009)

I've used Chestnut Food Safe, works fine and is easily renewed


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## Ironballs (11 Dec 2009)

Forgot to add, Ray Mears agrees with Mike, he uses veg oil on his wooden utensils


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## ajmoran (11 Dec 2009)

I've used Tung oil for food friendly projects and the result is a warm colour. I believe Tung oil is a constituent of Danish Oil but personally I've avoided the latter for food stuff as it contains 'driers'. Driers can contain heavy metals (I'm sure there are brands of Danish Oils without heavy metal driers).
Same thing goes for Linseed Oil. Pure Linseed Oil is fine but Boiled Linseed Oil can contain those driers.
One thing to watch out for with pure products without driers is that they can take forever to dry if you don't build up the coats thinly.
I made this mistake with a Tung Oil bed headboard and it took months before the oily smell disappeared 
Cheers
Andrew


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## seanybaby (12 Dec 2009)

Thanks for the advise.

Olive oil, seems like the perfect choice. Easy for the recipient to re-oil.


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## nicewood (17 Jan 2010)

I would also go for the Olive Oil to be 100% safe


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## ondablade (17 Feb 2010)

Just found this Fine Woodworking article on food safe wood finishes here: http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAn ... px?id=2523

ian


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## wizer (17 Feb 2010)

Missed this thread

Olive oil is really not a good idea. It tends to go rancid and smelly after a while. Walnut oil is better if it's not being used by someone who is allergic. But as Chas said, Paraffin is probably the best. It can be re-applied often to keep the protection up


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## Scrums (22 Feb 2010)

Sorry to disagree with the anti Olive Oil brigade, but if you're selling stuff that the public needs to re-oil for food stuff it's the only way to go. Be the item a chopping block, cheeseboard, mortar and pestle or whatever, you can't expect the customer to have some Chestnut foodsafe handy - I tell them to use Olive Oil or Sunflower or whatever they use in their kitchen.

At home We've used Olive oil on boards for years and I've never known it go rancid.

On a slightly different tack - If the item is to be sold/given away I'd never ever use any form of nut based oil for the allergy reason, probably in my own home too - you never know what visitors might suffer from.

Chris.


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