Baked good consumption is not declining, especially in the United States, where bread is consumed daily and part of every American’s diet. From breakfast until dinner, bread is present on every table.
In 2020, fresh bread and rolls were the number one bakery product in the United States, generating sales of USD$13.95 billion, while cookies come in second with USD$9.28 billion.
Getting into the food business anywhere you are is a viable business opportunity since food is the number one commodity in the world. The demand for food never waivers, and if you have a great product, people patronizing your business will not be so challenging to attain.
You also have to realize that there are known risks in this type of business. Food businesses are often faced with problems with foodborne illnesses.
What Is A Foodborne Illness?
Foodborne illness is a disease caused by food contaminated with pathogens, chemical substances, or foreign particles. Every year 48 million individuals get sick, while approximately 3,000 individuals die from foodborne illnesses in the US.
There are more than 30 known pathogens found in food, but the five most common and those that cause illnesses and hospitalization are:
- Norovirus
- Salmonella
- Escherichia coli
- Campylobacter
- Listeria
The symptoms of foodborne illness include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, fever, and fatigue. It could be potentially dangerous for children as they can get severely dehydrated fast and not know it.
As with foreign contaminants in food, somebody’s tooth might get damaged from biting into something hard like a stone on their food or probably internal laceration from ingesting food with metal shards. If a piece of glass got into the food, this could go inside the body, pierce the digestive tract, and cause terrible pain and even death.
If you plan to dive into the bakery business, know that challenges with foreign contaminants on food are manageable with different types of food metal detector.
Ensuring food safety is paramount in the food business. Your reputation as a brand relies on how well you manage your products, and tarnishing your name because of something avoidable is not something that will let you sleep soundly at night.
You have to remember that any issues arising from improper food handling could lead to lawsuits and the possible closure of your business.
To help you out, here are food safety tips if you plan to open a baked goods business:
1. Ensure Proper Employee Hygiene
Personal hygiene is critical in managing a food business. All staff members must be knowledgeable of hygienic practices, and everyone must adhere to proper personal hygiene protocols like the following.
- Taking a bath daily
- Observe proper handwashing procedures
- Restrain the hair with hairnets
- Avoid wearing jewelry
- No smoking and gum chewing within the perimeter
- No coughing and sneezing in the food preparation area
- Keep fingernails short and no nail polish
- All personal items must be kept in a secured location away from the food preparation area
2. Ensure Employee Health Is Monitored
No food handler must be allowed to go to work while they are sick. Also, your employees must not be allowed to return to work if their symptoms have not subsided for 48 hours.
If the food handler has an open cut, this should be covered appropriately with a bandage, and the dressing often replaced.
3. Train Employee Regularly
Food safety training must be conducted regularly to ensure employees are updated with new guidelines and their compliance and knowledge checked periodically.
The training must cover relevant topics, including sanitation and quality standards, application of HACCP practices, bacterial pathogens, and foreign contaminants.
4. Proper Wearing Of PPE
A PPE or personal protective equipment in the food manufacturing business is a must to ensure safety in the food production process. It serves as a barrier between the food handler and the factors that could affect the contamination of the food.
Some of the necessary PPE they should wear are:
- Aprons
- Overalls
- Jackets to those who work in the refrigerated section
- Hair covers
- Gloves
- Mouth shield
- Boots
The quality of the material of the PPE is also essential as low-quality material may tend to get damaged easily and has the potential to go into the food being prepared, like pieces of torn gloves or loose threads falling from aprons and clothing.
Food handlers must also be reminded that external coverings like overalls should be removed before leaving the food preparation area as loitering around wearing these could attract pathogens floating around. That is why it is also prohibited to wear these when going to the restroom.
5. Follow FIFO In Food Storage
Ingredients used in food preparation must be stocked following the FIFO or first in, first out standard. This way, old stocks will be prioritized first and newly delivered ingredients last.
Also, storing these ingredients requires them to be labeled appropriately using a labeler that does not fade and a font large enough to be read.
Following FIFO ensures the freshness and quality of the products you produce from your facility. The system will help you organize your storage area, prevent mold and pathogen growth, and prevent unnecessary wastage that often results in loss of profit.
6. Equipment Knowledge And Training
Your employees should undergo training on how to operate and maintain equipment used in the facility. Adequate knowledge of this prevents injuries, ensures cleanliness, and extends the life of the equipment. Poorly maintained equipment may harbor pathogens and could have worn-out parts that needed replacement. Worn-out equipment parts could accidentally get into the baked goods prepared in the facility, and the pieces of metal can pose a health hazard to your consumers.
7. Adherence To Proper Cooking And Storage Temperature
Baked goods need to follow a specific temperature to ensure doneness is achieved. It is critical since these food products contain eggs. You don’t want to cut into a piece of pound cake to discover that the middle is slightly wet or doughy. Consistency is essential in producing baked goods; your customers would love to take a bite of the same thing repeatedly and experience the same great product every time, if not even better. So, following the correct oven temperature and monitoring baking time is imperative in producing quality baked goods. You do not want to serve salmonella-infested, undercooked bread.
After baking, baked products need to follow the right temperature for holding and storage, especially if they are filled with custard or covered with cheese or butter. Improper handling of these food products could lead to spoilage, and consuming these could lead to an illness.
Conclusion
Ensuring that you produce high-quality food that is guaranteed safe and fresh will keep your business thriving and your customers loyal. It will ensure that you’re taking care of your brand and reputation and avoiding all implications of a lawsuit. So, consider the points provided in this article to ensure the safety of your baked goods.
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