Galvinized Metal and Butchering

[bigredfeather]

I have come across a 3'x6' galvinized metal table top that is free for me to take from work. I thought it would be a great size to use for butchering. All I have to do is make some sort of structure under it. I was wondering if anybody knows if it would be bad to have a galvinized work surface. I would be doing the actual cutting on a cutting board which would be sitting on the galv tops, but that's not to say a bird wouldn't come in contact with the table top.

Any thoughts?

 

[RAREROO]

Also if I may, I'd like to add a question about using galvanized tubs for holding scalding water or actually heating the water in it over a fire. Would galvanized metal hold up strong in the fire and would their be any risk of toxins if just using it as scalding water ?

 

[NotAFarm]

I'd be interested to find out the answer to these questions as well. Hopefully, someone knowledgable will chime in!

 

[Judy]

Here's something I found with a Google search that says it's OK for foods to contact galvanized metal as long as they're not acidic foods, which meat is not.

http://www.galvanizeit.org/images/uploads/drGalv/hdgsteel_food.pdf

I also saw some articles that talk about what happens when galvanized is exposed to weather, and how to paint it successfully.

In your position, I'd take it, make the table, then wash the oil off it that was used in manufacturing. If it started to rust I'd deal with that then.

Our processing table was a freebie, too -- a damaged kitchen sink that was still usable, and a countertop scrap, a mistake from housebuilding, with legs made of wood scraps. The sink isn't plumbed; we just use a garden hose with a cheap sprayer nozzle, and a 5 gallon bucket to catch the worst of the runoff. Works great.