Spalted Wood And FOOD

[George Guadiane]

I am making boxes for a local fine chocolate maker.
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?

 

[GeorgeH]

George, your issue appears to involve a commercial venture that exposes both yourself and your client to liability. I would suggest you get professional (scientific laboratory) advice rather than rely on the generous but often questionable advice from strangers on the Internet forums. If you have to defend yourself in court neither your attorney nor the Internet source of information is going to make a donation to the expense of the process.

 

[Barry Elder]

Take the easy way out and hire an attorney. Any question you ask will get an answer that requires at least fifteen definitions for each word in any answer. That is what attorneys do. Play with words!

 

[drjcbarton]

George,

For what it's worth, medicine is my gig and some people could potentially be sensitive to the fungus spores in the spalted wood. From a legal perspective, you would be taking on risk. In the bigger scheme of things you have to ask yourself, "how much risk am I willing to accept." I have testified at many depositions and as an expert witness I would have to say that your present knowledge of spalted wood led to this question and hence you are aware of a risk and if you sell the items knowing they have an associated risk, you would be culpable for any negative consequences...

 

[George Guadiane]

George,

For what it's worth, medicine is my gig and some people could potentially be sensitive to the fungus spores in the spalted wood. From a legal perspective, you would be taking on risk. In the bigger scheme of things you have to ask yourself, "how much risk am I willing to accept." I have testified at many depositions and as an expert witness I would have to say that your present knowledge of spalted wood led to this question and hence you are aware of a risk and if you sell the items knowing they have an associated risk, you would be culpable for any negative consequences...

Thanks DrJ,
That's what I needed to hear, not what I WANTED to hear, but thank you.
I will just avoid using any spalted wood.
The lawyer thing was significant too...
You know, sometimes I'm just amazed that we get to do anything out of the ordinary, for fear of law suits.

 

[drjcbarton]

George,

The really sad part of this is that in all honesty, less than .001% of the world population is actually sensitive to the fungus spores that would be associated with spalted wood. In fact, there is a greater possibility that they would actually be allergic to the wood than to a fungus. For instance, I'm acutely allergic to wenge. I found this out about 1/2 way into my first wenge bowl. Many people are allergic to a class of woods known as fumerates which include cocobolo, walnut, etc. The whole notion of people being so sensitive to molds is stuff of the popular press and not reality. We live with constant exposure to fungi and never know it and never have symptoms.

 

[Ken Grunke]

I would think that soaking in denatured alcohol, microwaving or possibly boiling would kill any spores if there is a reason to be concerned about them.

 

[George Guadiane]

I would think that soaking in denatured alcohol, microwaving or possibly boiling would kill any spores if there is a reason to be concerned about them.

I'm sure that there is some process that would resolve the problems to ALMOST zero, but for now I'm just going to keep on the safe side of the street, even if it's boring.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Frankly, I'd not give a snowball's chance for evolutionary success to a fungus which specialized so much as to keep its spores in its food/waste pile waiting for woodturners to release them. How did it survive before the hobby?

Which is a joke, as we know, because the spores are produced by the fruiting bodies on the surface, where they can get some exposure, not in the wood. What is in the wood are a bunch of chemicals the fungus creates to defend its food suppy against bacteria or other fungi who would consume it or leaves behind as it feasts further. Mycotoxins, perhaps a few strands of this or that or some proteins which might cause a reaction.

Real answer is there's probably no big deal for the 90 and 9 with 99 hundredths added, but you'll never convince anyone who got a bellyache from tainted lettuce that it didn't come from the spalted salad bowl.

Wish me luck today as I bring in a cord of potential death to feed, by degrees into my stove. Though the bark falls off most pieces after a year.

 

[Ruth Niles]

Will the chocolate just be loose in the box?

Line the inside.

Wrap the chocolate.

Forget the attorney, lining the box is a lot cheaper.

:cool2:

Ruth

 

[paulspencer2001]

Wax and Oil Finish

Th only other thing that I would do is put a note on the package of the type of oil and wax used. Say if your are using walnut oil, bee's wax, ect. There are those that have a reaction to both, even to a small amount.

 

[Curt Fuller]

Will the chocolate just be loose in the box?

Line the inside.

Wrap the chocolate.

Forget the attorney, lining the box is a lot cheaper.

:cool2:

Ruth

Ruth, I've always appreciated you common sense approach to things. The world needs more folks like you.