Walk into almost any commercial kitchen in Australia and you will see the same rack of coloured chopping boards: red, blue, yellow, green, brown, white and often purple. New starters pick it up in a day. Colour coded chopping boards are one of the simplest food safety tools a kitchen can use, and one of the easiest to let slip when the pass is busy and the green board is in the dishwasher.
One point up front, because it is widely misunderstood: the colours themselves are an industry convention, not a colour scheme written into Australian law. What the law does require, through Standard 3.2.2 of the FSANZ Food Standards Code, is that food businesses protect food from contamination and keep food-contact surfaces clean and sanitary. A colour-coded system is one practical, visual way to show an inspector that you are doing exactly that.
This guide sets out the common chopping board colour code, how the purple allergen board fits in, which board to use for what, when to replace a board, cleaning and storage, and how to train staff so the system actually holds up during service.
What Is the Colour Coded Chopping Board System Chefs Use?
A colour coded chopping board system gives each broad food group its own board colour, so raw and ready-to-eat food never share a cutting surface. The idea came out of HACCP-based food safety practices: identify the points where contamination can happen, then put a simple control in place. A cutting board is one of the most high-risk surfaces in any kitchen because raw meat, raw fish and raw chicken are cut and chopped on it, and harmful bacteria from those foods can transfer to salad or cooked food that will not be heated again.
Cleaning between tasks helps, but under pressure a board gets a quick wipe instead of a proper wash and sanitise. Separate boards make that decision for a busy cook, which reduces the risk of food contamination and lifts hygiene standards without slowing service. The colour is a visual cue anyone in the kitchen can read at a glance, from the head chef to a casual on their first shift.
The Chopping Board Colour Code: Raw, Cooked, Vegetable and Dairy Food
The colour code below is the one most commonly used in Australian commercial kitchens, and it matches what most suppliers sell as a standard set. Some businesses adapt it, and that is fine, provided the chart on your wall matches the boards on your rack and every staff member knows it.
| Board colour | Food group | Typical tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Raw meat | Trimming beef, lamb and pork; portioning steaks; dicing for stews |
| Blue | Raw fish and seafood | Filleting fish, cleaning prawns and squid |
| Yellow | Raw poultry | Breaking down chicken, trimming thigh fillets, preparing duck |
| Green | Fruit, vegetables and salad | Salad preparation, garnishes, herbs, fruit for desserts |
| Brown | Cooked meats | Slicing roast meats, ham and cooked chicken |
| White | Dairy and bakery | Cheese, bread, pastry |
| Purple | Allergen-free preparation | Meals for customers with a declared food allergy |
Print this table and put it above the board rack. It is the cheapest piece of training material you will ever produce, and it answers the question "which board to use?" before anyone has to ask.
Red chopping board: raw meat
The red chopping board is for raw meat only. Raw red meat can carry bacteria on its surface, so anything cut on the red board must be cooked before it is served. Never use it for cooked meat or salad, even after a rinse.
Blue and yellow chopping boards
The blue chopping board is reserved for raw fish and seafood, and the yellow chopping board for raw poultry. Raw chicken is one of the most common sources of food-borne illness, which is why many kitchens give poultry its own board rather than sharing the red one.
Green chopping board: vegetable and salad
The green chopping board handles fruit, vegetable prep and salad. This is the board that matters most for ready-to-eat food, because salad is not cooked before it reaches the customer. Keep it well away from the red, blue and yellow.
Brown and white chopping boards
The brown chopping board is for cooked meats, kept apart from the red so bacteria from raw product cannot reach anything that will not be cooked again. The white chopping board covers dairy products and bakery items such as bread and pastry.
The Purple Chopping Board and Allergen Control
The purple chopping board is the newest addition to most colour-coded systems, and arguably the most important. Its job is allergen-free preparation. When a customer declares an allergy to a nut, shellfish, gluten or another allergen, the dish is prepared on the purple board with a clean utensil and a clean knife, away from the main preparation area.
Two practical rules make it work. First, purple is never used for general prep, even when everything else is in the wash; once used for general food it stops being allergen-free. Second, it is cleaned and stored separately. Colour coding reduces the risk of cross-contact but does not remove it on its own. Your allergen procedure also needs clean surfaces, separate utensils, careful handling of ingredients and clear communication between front of house and the kitchen. Food allergen management is an area food regulators take very seriously, so treat the purple board as one part of a documented process, not the whole of it.
How Coloured Chopping Boards Prevent Cross-Contamination (HACCP)
Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria move from one food to another, usually from raw food to ready-to-eat food. The board is a common route: a raw chicken breast is trimmed, the board gets a quick rinse, and then lettuce is cut on the same surface. Bacteria survive in moisture and knife scores, and the salad goes out uncooked.
Colour-coded boards help prevent cross-contamination in three ways:
- Separation by default. The colour-coded chopping board helps prevent mistakes because raw and ready-to-eat food never share a board, so the risk does not depend on how well a board was cleaned between tasks.
- A visual check. A supervisor can see at a glance if someone is cutting salad on red, and correct it immediately.
- Evidence of control. A colour system, a wall chart and a cleaning schedule show an environmental health officer that you have a working process for safe food handling, which is what Standard 3.2.2 asks for. Our guide to the commercial kitchen health inspection in Australia covers what inspectors typically look for.
Coloured boards do not replace handwashing or proper cool room storage; they are one layer of your food safety practices.
Choosing Commercial Chopping Boards: Plastic, Density and Thickness
Plastic boards
Most commercial kitchens use polyethylene boards, and they are the safer choice for a busy environment. Plastic is durable, non-porous on the surface, comes in every colour of the system, and can go through a commercial dishwasher, which makes cleaning and sanitising consistent. That is the main reason plastic is standard across commercial kitchens.
Low density vs high density
Low density boards are softer, kinder to knife edges and grip the bench well, but they score more deeply and need replacing sooner. High density boards are harder, more resistant to deep scoring and warping, and hold up better to heavy chopping and repeated hot washes. Most busy restaurant kitchens choose high density for daily preparation.
Thickness and size
Thicker boards, such as 20mm, are stiffer and less prone to warping in a hot dishwasher, but heavier to handle and slower to dry. Thinner boards are lighter, easier to store and suitable for lighter tasks. Pick a size that fits your benches and your dishwasher rack; anything that does not fit gets washed by hand, and hand washing is where shortcuts happen.
Wood vs plastic in a commercial setting
Are wood chopping boards safe? Well-maintained hardwood boards can be hygienic, they are common in the home kitchen, and some chefs prefer them for bread or for presentation. In a commercial kitchen they have practical drawbacks: they cannot go through a commercial dishwasher, they need oiling and careful drying, they do not come in the full colour system, and a cracked or deeply scored wooden board is hard to sanitise. Most kitchens keep wood, if they use it at all, for limited tasks and rely on colour-coded plastic for everything else.
| Board type | Strengths | Limitations | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| High density plastic | Durable, resists scoring, dishwasher-safe, full colour range | Harder on knife edges | Daily commercial prep |
| Low density plastic | Gentle on knives, good grip | Scores and wears faster | Lighter prep, smaller kitchens |
| Hardwood | Attractive, knife-friendly | Not dishwasher-safe, needs oiling, no colour system | Bread, presentation, limited tasks |
When to Replace a Chopping Board
A chopping board does not last forever. Every cut leaves a groove, and deep grooves trap moisture, debris and bacteria that a wash will not reach. Replace it when:
- It has deep scoring or grooves you can catch a fingernail in.
- It has warped and no longer sits flat on the bench, which is a safety risk when chopping.
- It is stained or discoloured in a way that cleaning will not remove.
- It is cracked or split.
- The colour has faded so far that staff cannot tell which board is which.
Keep a spare set so a worn board can be retired the day it fails. Sharp knives help too: a blunt knife needs more force to chop safely and scores the board more deeply. Our guide on how to sharpen a serrated knife covers one of the trickier blades.
Cleaning, Sanitising and Storing Coloured Chopping Boards
Coloured chopping boards only work if each one is clean before it is used. A simple routine:
- Scrape off food waste.
- Wash in hot water and detergent, scrubbing the surface and edges.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Sanitise, either with a commercial dishwasher cycle that reaches sanitising temperature or with a food-safe chemical sanitiser used as the label directs.
- Air dry in a rack. Do not stack wet boards or dry them with a tea towel.
Can you use the same chopping board after sanitising it? A properly cleaned and sanitised board is technically safe to reuse, but cleaning under pressure is not always thorough, so keep the colours separate anyway.
How to store colour coded chopping boards
Boards used through service should go straight to the wash, then into storage. Store boards upright in a rack with gaps between them so air can circulate and each board dries completely. Stacking traps moisture, and that is where bacteria grow. A stainless steel rack is easy to clean, and storing the boards in colour order makes it obvious when one is missing or in use. Keep purple in its own spot, away from the main rack if possible.
Training Kitchen Staff and Chefs on Chopping Board Colours
A colour system is only as good as the people using it. To train staff on chopping board colours:
- Induct every new starter. Walk through the colour chart on day one, including casuals and kitchen hands, and have them chop a few items on the right boards while you watch.
- Put the chart where the work happens. Above the board rack and at each preparation station.
- Match knives where you can. Some kitchens add colour-coded knife handles as an extra cue.
- Supervise and correct. Chefs and supervisors should call out the wrong board immediately, without fuss.
- Write it down. Add the colour code and cleaning schedule to your food safety program and keep records of training.
For the wider compliance picture, read our food safety standards guide for commercial kitchens and our overview of commercial kitchen regulations in Australia. When it is time to restock, browse our kitchenware range or the full Hygiplas collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the colour code for chopping boards in Australia?
The most common convention in Australian commercial kitchens is red for raw meat, blue for raw fish and seafood, yellow for raw poultry, green for fruit, vegetables and salad, brown for cooked meats, white for dairy and bakery, and purple for allergen-free preparation. It is an industry convention rather than a legal colour scheme, so display a chart that matches the boards your kitchen actually uses.
Are colour coded chopping boards a legal requirement in Australia?
No specific colour scheme is mandated by law. The FSANZ Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2, requires food businesses to protect food from contamination and to keep food-contact surfaces clean and sanitary. Colour coded chopping boards are a widely used, practical way to meet that obligation and to show an environmental health officer that you control cross-contamination.
How many different coloured chopping boards are there?
Most commercial sets have six or seven colours. The core six are red, blue, yellow, green, brown and white. Many kitchens add a seventh, purple, for allergen-free preparation. Smaller operations sometimes use fewer colours, but every food group you prepare should have its own board, and raw and ready-to-eat food should never share one.
Are wood chopping boards safe in a commercial kitchen?
A well-maintained hardwood board can be hygienic, but wood is impractical for most commercial use. It cannot go through a commercial dishwasher, needs oiling and careful drying, is hard to sanitise once cracked or deeply scored, and does not come in the full colour system. Most kitchens use colour coded plastic boards for daily prep and limit wood to tasks such as bread or presentation.
How should colour coded chopping boards be stored?
Store them upright in a rack with gaps between boards so air circulates and each board dries completely after washing and sanitising. Never stack wet boards, because trapped moisture lets bacteria grow. Keeping boards in colour order makes a missing board obvious, and the purple allergen board should be stored separately from the general set.
