Try one of these;

http://lumberjocks.com/search_results?cx=017914489645407774653%3Agwwk-zif3wk&cof=FORID%3A9&safe=high&q=food+safe+finish&sa.x=0&sa.y=0

 

OB poly, wb finishes, lacquer, shellac all foodsafe once cured. If any cutting will take forget the stain and just put some mineral oil on it. Will it be exposed to heat?

 

You did not mention what kind of wood you are using but there are a number of good choices mentioned above as long as there will be no cutting on the surface.

If cutting is involved I too would stick with a straight oil finish. I don't like mineral oil because it never drys or cures. My preferred oil is Walnut oil (processed not food grade). Available at WoodCraft and other sources. You can also use pure Tung or Linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil has heavy metals added to speed the curing process and Tung oil that is not pure contains solvents and possibly curing agents. Of those three the Walnut oil will cure the quickest, linseed oil next and tung oil the slowest.
If you want a walnut color I would suggest using Walnut wood over staining another variety unless you intend to top coat it with one of the hard finished like Poly or lacquer.

 

Randy - I was making a board that I wanted to stain and finish
with food safe products and have been very pleased with the
WATCO Butcher Block Oil & Finish on other projects …... but it says on the can,
do not apply over other finishes. I called Watco for clarification
if "stain" is considered a finish in their book ~ and they said yes, it is.
and the techrep went on to say ~ most, if not all, cutting boards and butcher block
finishes and coatings need to be applied to "bare and unstained" wood.
so - if you have not applied the stain yet, you can use most any cutting board product.
but - after the stain has been applied, your options are pretty limited.
I made my aunt a "biscuit board" for the top of her stove, a/k/a noodle board,
and applied the Watco Oil Finish to it on bare, unstained wood and it turned out really good.

just for your info

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looking at the hundreds of Noodle Boards (a/k/a/ biscuit or stove board) on Pinterest,
there are soooooooo many different types of finishes on their projects.
stain - paint - varnish - barn wood, pallet wood, every kind of finish under the sun.
so - with all that in mind, I really wouldn't put too much thought into the finish for your project.
Just ensure there are no hazardous ingredients in the ones you choose.
just do it the way you want and be done with it. I see a couple of examples that I like for myself.
Noodle Board Examples

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Thanks everyone; I'm using a nice piece of birch plywood (double thickness); my daughter likes dark stains but I'm concerned about staining it a dark walnut-nothing else even makes a dent in the light color of the birch. She says it will be used mostly for storage and definitely not cutting so I'm going to do a walnut stain and then use a mineral oil/beeswax final finish.

Thanks to all the replies

 

If you want a natural, walnut stain, one of the best things you can use is Van Dyck crystals. Van Dyck crystals are made from walnut husks. It is the stain component naturally occurring in walnuts. You mix the Van Dyck crystals with hot water, stir until dissolved, let it cool down and then strain through cheese cloth or a fine mesh paint strainer funnel. You now have a natural, walnut color, dye stain. I like to add a little vinegar to the stain as it seems to help the stain penetrate the wood faster.

I would also suggest that if it is a food contact surface that you use Mahoney's Polymerized Walnut oil. The polymerized walnut oil contains no artificial driers and will cure naturally from exposure to oxygen. You flood the surface with the oil and let it soak in for about 20 minutes and then wipe off the excess. Repeat this three or four more times and you will have a food-safe prep surface that is easy to maintain. You simply oil the surface when it looks like it needs it. Another product is Mahoney's oil wax finish. This is a blend of the polymerized walnut oil and beeswax. I've used the Mahoney's walnut oil and oil wax finish on two cutting boards for the past 10 years and it is far better than mineral oil, as the walnut oil actually cures to a solid, hard finish as opposed to mineral oil that is always wet and slowly evaporates.

I also use the oil wax finish on soapstone as it is easy to refresh the surface as needed and gives the soapstone a soft, satin sheen.