If you think about it what do butchers use to chop up meat on? A butchers block which is made of wood! They clean them at the end of the day with a scraper and scrubbing brush with hot water and elbow grease!
One of my hobbies is wood turning and so I have looked into this as I do make bowls etc which can be used for fruit and salad etc. Wood is fine for food providing you use common sense, there are food safe oils and finishes which can be used and obviously no one would use exotic timbers for food as some can cause allergies. Again washing by hand is essential, no wood would survive in a dishwasher although I do know some folks who have had that done to bowls they sold only to have them returned, sometimes they can be re-turned to make them usable again but not often! Wood often has anti-bacterial qualities.
So bottom line is wood is fine and probably just as hygienic as china or glass if properly used and cared for. I would also advise against buying cheap wooden stuff form the pound shops as you probably dont know what the wood is or how it has been finished.
Stuart
