New woodean board for a kitchen table
For a food-safe wood finish, I have had good success using a 1:1 ratio of real pure tung oil and citrus solvent.  

My kitchen table is cypress, which is much softer than birch or beech, soft enough that I need to lightly sand and refinish the table every year or so.  Working with tung oil and citrus solvent rather than a lacquer makes this task very easy because I don’t have to deal with toxic fumes and a long drying time.

I also have a birch butcher-block countertop with the same finish.  The area closest to the sink has a small amount of water damage after about 5 years. I might consider using the marine finish there.