Hi Pranav,
I agree with the above statements from Ian R, Setanta, and tadelong. To backstop tadelong's statement (The auditor is going to happily deduct points from you), a GFSI auditor will inevitably do so at some point, if not the first time they audit your facility. For instance, BRC clause 4.9.4.1 states: "Wood should not be used in open product areas except where this is a process requirement (e.g. maturation of products in wood). Where the use of wood cannot be avoided, the condition of wood shall be continually monitored to ensure it is in good condition and free from damage or splinters which could contaminate products".
An FDA inspector might cite 21CFR110.20(b)(2) (see:http://www.accessdat...h.cfm?fr=110.20): "Permit the taking of proper precautions to reduce the potential for contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials with microorganisms, chemicals, filth, or other extraneous material."
You're probably going to have a hard time convincing a CB that there is no risk having a wooden table top, and the effort you would have to put in to ensuring that they do not pose a hazard (inspection, cleaning, validation) would more than likely prove to be more expensive over the long run as opposed to simply using food safe material to begin with.
Hope this helps,
Chris
