Advise sought on liability

[Charles Hamilton]

Hi All,

I am new to the forum and having posted in the Introductions. But, to set the stage for this post, I am working on some bowls and platters, most of which I plan to sell or otherwise part with. My wife and I were having a conversation about food safe finishes, and that quickly went into liability in the event someone becomes ill after eating from a bowl I made. Sorry for bringing this topic up, but it seems important. I would like to hear from you, especially those of you who sell, how you have dealt with this topic. For instance, do you have insurance? If so, what type of coverage, and from who? On things like food safe finish, do you use commercial finishes? And, do you get the documentation from the supplier to back up the claim of food safety? These are things of concern to me. Anyway, if you have advice, please share it. Just a bit about me, I am retired, I work out of my home, and I have to be mindful of a budget.

Thanks,
Chuck Hamilton

 

[Russell Nugent]

There's a ton of threads on this that you'll be able to find with the search function.
There's a million and three opinions on the topic. I generally use something like tried and true danish oil. Supposedly food safe. I sell a few bowls now and then but if I had to consider carrying insurance to protect myself I think I'd just quit.
According to the wood biologist Dr Seri Robinson there is no food safe finish. Any finish you use will be able to trap bacteria in the wood and nullify the natural microbe killing property of wood.
I tend to avoid anything film finish for utility items, it's going to look like crap after a few uses.

 

[Janet Dillon]

This is a really good question. I'm also new to the forum, so I haven't had the chance to explore the hundreds of topics supported here. But I'll be heading to the search engine to find more on this topic.

 

[Darryl Fective]

I wouldn't worry about it. Once cured, all finishes are food-safe.

 

[Charles Hamilton]

Thank you for your replies. I read the article by Seri Robinson, which is in the November/December 2024 issue of Fine Woodworking. So, very recent. Basically, she says the best finish may be no finish at all. She gives the scientific reasoning behind it. That's helpful. She also points out various wood species that are suitable for food use, mostly lighter woods like maple and birch, which we have plenty of here in the Pacific Northwest. Anyway, it's a good read.

Thanks again,
Chuck