How to Make Plywood Completely Food Safe

Plywood is a versatile material, but ensuring it's safe for food use requires the right steps and materials. Here's a comprehensive written guide to making your plywood food-safe, inspired by my recent YouTube Tutorial

Plywood, in its natural state, is not food safe due to the adhesives used to bond its layers. These glues often contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals that can leach out, especially when exposed to moisture or heat. This poses a risk of contaminating food placed directly on the plywood surface. To make plywood food safe, it's essential to seal it with a food-grade finish, creating a protective barrier between the wood and any food that comes into contact with it.

Steps to Make Plywood Food Safe:

1. Sand the Surface: Start by sanding the plywood with fine-grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface before cutting your board.
2. Clean the Plywood: Wipe off any dust or debris with a damp cloth and let it dry completely - Sand it again and blow off the dust.
3. Apply a Food-Safe Sealant: Use a food-grade varnish, polyurethane, or top coat to seal the plywood surface and ESPECIALLY the open edges! Apply multiple coats, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next. I use varnish fom LUXENS, that are meant for kitchen counter tops, but I listed some alternative brands beneath.
4. Cure the Sealant: Allow the final coat to cure as per the manufacturer's instructions. This ensures the surface is safe for direct contact with food.

Recommended Food-Grade Sealants:

Here is a list of 20 food-grade varnishes, polyurethanes, and top coats:

1. General Finishes High Performance Water-Based Topcoat
2. TotalBoat Halcyon Clear Varnish
3. Minwax Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane
4. Rust-Oleum Ultimate Polyurethane
5. Eco-Poly Polyurethane
6. AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP
7. Crystalac Brite Tone Instrument Finish
8. Sutherland Welles Botanical Polymerized Tung Oil
9. Bona Mega Wood Floor Finish
10. Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish
11. Osmo Top Oil
12. Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac
13. Tried & True Original Wood Finish
14. Salad Bowl Finish by General Finishes
15. Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish
16. Shellac Finishing by J.E. Moser's
17. Emtech EM2000wvx Waterborne Acrylic Varnish
18. Rust-Oleum Varathane Water-Based Polyurethane
19. Liberon Finishing Oil
20. FamoWood Glaze Coat

These products ensure that your plywood project remains safe for food contact, providing a durable and protective surface that prevents any harmful substances from leaching into your food.

For a step-by-step visual guide, check out my detailed tutorial on YouTube: Watch the Tutorial.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or additional tips! Happy crafting!