I am going to only stat this once wood has an enzyme that kills bacteria and if that was not so everyone who has lived where there is an old butcher shop in Europe would have dies long ago. I rn a catering biz in my kitchen with health inspections on a regualr basis all buter block counters .You clean and use them depending on how much use they get you sand them lightly and oil with a food safe oil If you got black gunk you did not clean properly. Studies have been done testing all kinds of different materials for counters and wood has come out on top.Do not seal the wood then it does not do its job.This is my kichen in Calgary the pic was taked when the kitchen was 10 yrs old I had it everywhere even around the sink it just got oiled more often there,We go to Paris very often rent the same apartment every time the butcher shop next to the saprtment has a fabulous butcher block sitting in the work area it is 100Yrs old and everyone is still alive after eating food from there , taken care of properly it is IMO a fabulous work surface . Really if you are concerend chop meat on a separate cutting board .