A couple of years a go a Health Inspector ordered a butcher to stop using his wooden "block" to cut meat on as it was not "banned" by EU dictat (not UK Parliamentary Law but EU directive) - at great cost the block was replaced with new plastic surface - which the butcher knew would be unsuitable but it complied with the law - recently the same inspector visited and ordered the buther to buy "a wooden block" as that was now the approved surface for working on - the inspector was reminded of her earlier visit but could not see how ridiculous this was.
I saw this happen in our local butchers. He refused to "go plastic" and insisted that the traditional wood block bench was far more hygenic. Basically, the block is scrubbed down with a wire brush every day, which removes a layer of wood and all the associated bugs that might be present.
Englishman.