Question arose as to whether there is a problem doing this on a charcuterie board.
I guess my specific question is the borax burned into the wood somehow? Seems like it would wash off.
There’s quite a bit of literature on this subject. If safety is at all a concern I’d advise against this. Borax is banned for use in food products in the US and is regulated for other uses outside the US. However, it’s also used in products that often go into the body. So it’s not “instant kill” levels of toxicity but not something to casually play around with if safety is a top concern.
The portion that seeps into the wood will not casually wash off as it will be absorbed. If you were to sand to a certain depth then this is perhaps true or if the material had been pre-finished. The dark ashy portion from the burn is also likely to flake-off and will almost certainly contain borax.
Perhaps consider sodium bicarbonate as an alternative for this scenario. Somewhat different results but perhaps better as you’ll likely get less ash and recognized as food safe.
