Spalted Wood and Food

[George Guadiane]

I am making boxes for a local fine chocolate maker. :o
I have pretty much free reign on detail and wood choice. I'm wondering if there are any problems with the spalting and storing food (chocolate) in boxes made with spalted wood and finished with oil and wax.
I guess what I want to know is whether spalted wood, once dry, can have active spores or spores that regenerate if/when in contact with food? AND if those spores can become harmful to humans?

[Jim King]

I tend to agree with this story. You should take care when working the dry or fresh wood as it says but after it is made into a product with a finish I would not worry about it. We work with it everyday and not one person has ever had a problem. It can be some of the most beautiful wood available.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/industries/spaltedwood/tabid/5255/Default.aspx

[Bob Vallaster]

I read the article linked above and came away with two positions.
(1) I have turned spalted wood and will do so again, but not as a container for anything wetter than salted peanuts.
(2) Since you are producing for a food purveyor, this is a decision you should make in concert with your customer. If you can authoritatively represent the materials (containing dead/dormant micro-organisms) as safe, maybe the customer will be persuaded to go for the distinctive appeal of spalting.
My guess is that a food purveyor would zero in on buzz words like asthma, death and botulism...visualize a hypochondriac customer with a sharp lawyer...and run away screaming.

[Tom Keen]

I wonder if soaking rough turned bowls in DNA would kill the fungus and bacteria? Seems to me that it would if allowed to soak long enough. The And, if you gave it a few mins in the microwave you would have a pretty "clean" piece. Final protection would be a hard finish, such as poly. That would seal it up. Nothing in, Nothing out.

Best,
Tom

[George Guadiane]

Thanks guys, I am now properly terrorized...
I will use "plain" wood, I don't have anything much to lose, but I don't want to spend turning time in court.:eek: