Company is installing new bakery equipment and they are looking at stainless steel tables with wood tops.
Is the wood table top for working dough acceptable?
What would be a good alternative?
thanks
Jason
Hi Jason,
You may use wood as table top working surface as long as it complies with FDA food code 2009:
4-101.17 Wood, Use Limitation.- (A) Except as specified in ¶¶ (B), ©, and (D) of this section, wood and wood wicker may not be used as a food-contact surface.
- (B) Hard maple or an equivalently hard, close-grained wood may be used for:
- (1) Cutting boards; cutting blocks; bakers' tables; and utensils such as rolling pins, doughnut dowels, salad bowls, and chopsticks; and
- (2) Wooden paddles used in confectionery operations for pressure scraping kettles when manually preparing confections at a temperature of 110°C (230°F) or above.
- © Whole, uncut, raw fruits and vegetables, and nuts in the shell may be kept in the wood shipping containers in which they were received, until the fruits, vegetables, or nuts are used.
- (D) If the nature of the food requires removal of rinds, peels, husks, or shells before consumption, the whole, uncut, raw food may be kept in:
- (1) Untreated wood containers; or
- (2) Treated wood containers if the containers are treated with a preservative that meets the requirements specified in 21 CFR 178.3800 Preservatives for wood.
If you still want to look for other alternatives you just have to remember that "working surfaces that come into direct contact with food should be in sound condition, durable and easy to clean, maintain and disinfect. They should be smooth, non-absorbent materials, and inert to food, to detergents and disinfectants under normal operating conditions." - CAC/RCP 1969
Hope this helps.
regards, FSB
