No, you should not use vegetable oil on your wooden cutting board.
Using olive oil or any vegetable oil on a wooden cutting board is not recommended. According to sources, using these types of oils can cause contamination over time.
Why should you avoid vegetable oil?
- Contamination: Vegetable oils are prone to going rancid over time, especially when exposed to air and bacteria from food.
- Unpleasant Smell: As the oil oxidizes and degrades, it develops an unpleasant, often strong, odor.
- Impacts Food Taste: The rancid oil can transfer its smell and taste to the foods you prepare or serve on the cutting board.
While readily available, oils like olive oil or standard vegetable oil (such as canola or sunflower oil) are not the right choice for maintaining your wooden cutting board. They do not properly penetrate the wood and cure like mineral oil (often labeled as "food-grade mineral oil" or "butcher block oil") or specialized cutting board conditioners do. Instead, they sit on the surface, go rancid, and degrade the board's hygiene and usability.
To properly maintain and protect your wooden cutting board, it's best to use oils specifically designed for this purpose, which prevent the issues associated with vegetable oils.
