Many claims are made about the antibacterial properties of cutting boards made from different materials. For example, some plastic cutting boards are impregnated with antibacterial additives.

The presence of anti-microbial chemicals in camphor laurel cutting boards raises the question of safety with regard to those chemicals contaminating food. The concentration & types of compounds in camphor wood can vary from tree to tree & between different parts of a tree.

The following compounds are found in Camphor Laurel samples:
Camphor – Safrole – Cineole – Cinnamaldehyde – Fatty acids – Mannitol – Limonene – Tannins – Terpineol -Eugenol – Pinene – Linalool, and Geraniol (3, 4)

Any of these substances can be toxic in purified form, but there is no evidence to suggest that food contact with Camphor laurel wood (particularly after curing) would produce any adverse effects.

Keep in mind though that some individuals may be allergic to the chemicals in timber, just like some people are allergic to peanuts and some aren’t.

Lavender, for instance, contains camphor, limonene, eugenol, pinene & linalool.

Eucalyptus oil is predominantly cineole.

The most toxic of the above is safrole. However, it is a reasonably common constituent of a lot of plants.

It is known to occur in about 50 other species including angelica, sassafras, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, cacao, and black pepper.

Other food plants containing these compounds include: Bay leaves (cineole & eugenol), cloves (eugenol), cinnamon (eugenol, cinnamaldehyde), coriander (linalool, pinene, & camphor), peppermint (pinene & limonene), sage (cineole, pinene & camphor), rosemary (cineole & pinene) [5,6,7,]. These Herbs & spices have long been used as preservatives