Colour-coded boards are one of the most visible controls in a kitchen — an inspector can check they’re being used correctly in seconds. But the colours only work as a control if every board is on the right task, in good condition, and every member of staff actually knows what each colour means.
Why colour-coded boards?
Separate boards for different food types stop harmful bacteria — Salmonella from raw chicken, E. coli from raw beef — transferring to ready-to-eat food.
It’s one of the simplest, most visible HACCP controls a kitchen has: a colour is a control anyone can check at a glance, including an inspector.
The law: you must have effective controls to prevent cross-contamination in a commercial kitchen.
Best practice: the colour scheme itself isn’t set by law — it’s just the standard way UK kitchens meet that duty.
The 6-colour system
Red
Raw meat and raw poultry (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck)
Yellow
Cooked and ready-to-eat meat (sliced ham, cooked chicken, charcuterie)
Blue
Raw fish and seafood
Green
Salad and fruit
Brown
Root vegetables and unwashed produce
White
Bakery and dairy products (bread, cheese)
Red board
✓ Raw meat and raw poultry (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck)
✗ Never for cooked or ready-to-eat food
Yellow board
✓ Cooked and ready-to-eat meat (sliced ham, cooked chicken, charcuterie)
✗ Never for raw meat, poultry or fish
Blue board
✓ Raw fish and seafood
✗ Never for meat or ready-to-eat food
Green board
✓ Salad and fruit
✗ Never reuse after raw proteins without a full wash and sanitise
Brown board
✓ Root vegetables and unwashed produce
✗ Never for ready-to-eat food
White board
✓ Bakery and dairy products (bread, cheese)
✗ Never for raw proteins
Many kitchens also use a dedicated purple board (and knife) for allergen-safe preparation. This is widespread best practice rather than a legal requirement — but if you cater for allergen-free orders, a separate board is one of the simplest ways to prevent cross-contact.
Maintenance rules
Boards only work as a control while they’re in good condition and identifiable at a glance.
- Wash boards with hot soapy water and sanitise with a food-safe sanitiser after every use.
- Replace boards with deep score marks — bacteria can harbour in cuts and can’t be removed by cleaning.
- Plastic boards are preferred because they’re easier to sanitise and to prove clean, but well-maintained wooden boards aren’t prohibited. Replace either type once it’s scored, stained or warped.
- Store boards upright so they can dry completely — flat stacking traps moisture and encourages bacterial growth.
- Replace a board once its colour has faded or worn — staff need to identify it at a glance, not guess.
- Knives should follow the same colour-coding system as boards.
Never do this
- Never use the same board for raw meat and ready-to-eat food, even "just quickly".
- Never place cooked or ready-to-eat food on a board or surface that held raw meat without sanitising first.
- Never store an unlabelled board where staff can’t tell which colour it is.
- Never skip a board because "it’s only vegetables" — cross-contamination runs in both directions.
A colour is a control, not proof on its own
Boards being the right colour tells you cross-contamination is being managed today — it doesn’t prove it was managed last Tuesday. That’s what an inspector actually wants to see: a food safety management system where cleaning, temperature and delivery checks sit alongside day-to-day controls like this one, with a timestamped record behind each of them.
Frequently asked questions
What do the chopping board colours mean in a UK kitchen?
The UK standard is a 6-colour system: red for raw meat and poultry, yellow for cooked and ready-to-eat meat, blue for raw fish and seafood, green for salad and fruit, brown for root vegetables and unwashed produce, and white for bakery and dairy. Many kitchens also add a purple board for allergen-safe preparation, which is widespread best practice rather than a legal requirement.
Is the chopping board colour system a legal requirement?
The colour scheme itself isn’t set out in law by name, but you are legally required to have effective controls that prevent cross-contamination in a commercial kitchen. Colour-coded boards are simply the standard, inspector-recognised way UK kitchens meet that duty — deviating from it means proving your alternative control works just as well.
How often should chopping boards be replaced?
Replace a board as soon as it has deep score marks, is stained, warped, or its colour has faded enough that staff can’t identify it at a glance. There’s no fixed calendar interval — condition is what matters, checked regularly rather than assumed.
Do I need a separate purple board for allergens?
It’s not a legal requirement, but it’s one of the simplest ways to prevent allergen cross-contact if you cater for allergen-free orders — a dedicated board and knife used only for allergen-free prep, kept apart from the other six.
Keep every kitchen control inspection-ready
HospoPilot turns daily checks — cleaning, temperature, deliveries — into timestamped records your team can’t forget to keep. No app to install.
Start your free trial14 days free · No card · Cancel anytime
Related: Food safety management software guide · Kitchen cleaning schedule · Safe cooking temperatures · Food hygiene checklist
Last reviewed August 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.