![]() Procedures need to be in place to guarantee that product safety is maintained during storage and transportation. Having a reliable allergen control program within the manufacturing plant, as well as ensuring that your suppliers have an adequate allergen control program, can help prevent recalls. ![]() The most common reason for recalls in the bakery is undeclared allergens. This information should be stored in such a way that during a recall event, all impacted product containing the impacted ingredient/lot code can be identified accurately and in a timely manner. Batch sheets should record all lot codes of ingredients being used during the manufacturing process. Traceability of ingredients and finished product is critical within the supply chain. Monitoring effectiveness of sanitation processes and procedures is essential to minimize the risk of product contamination by pathogens and/or spoilage microorganisms, especially in the postbaking environment. Suppliers also need to evaluate the effectiveness of their cleaning and sanitation programs, be able to assess the overall microbial cleanliness of the manufacturing environment, and to monitor the production environment for pathogenic bacteria. Does the supplier have a system to ensure correct labels are in use at each product/label changeover?.How are allergens controlled in their facility? For example, do they store allergens separately from other ingredients? Is there an allergen matrix/production sequencing schedule to prevent cross-contact of allergens during production? How are they ensuring adequate cleaning between allergen/allergen-free production runs?.How does the supplier control foreign material in their manufacturing facility?.Is the supplier certified against one of the audit schemes recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative?. ![]() Some other parameters to consider in evaluating the risk posed by your suppliers include: What are the hazards to be controlled in the raw materials they supply, the critical limits, and actions to be taken if a deviation occurs? Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and the Food Safety Modernization Act are examples of such preventive controls. Secondly, it is important to know your suppliers and to evaluate their food safety and quality programs. Once the hazards are determined and risk level assessed, Critical Control Points and/or preventive controls can be developed, including the product formulation, processing, and storage/handling controls, to mitigate those risks for example, preservatives/pH/aw in formulation, time/temperature of baking, and storage temperature/shelf life. Applying Hazard Analysis principles will help you understand the potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards in the product and in all steps of the production process, from raw material purchasing, production, distribution, and sale. Several bakery products have been implicated in foodborne illnesses involving Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus, so it is necessary to design food safety controls into products to prevent subsequent pathogen growth and toxin formation. For example, products with pH and aw above 4.6 and 0.85, respectively, may be considered time-temperature control for safety (TCS) products and will require shelf-stability validation through a microbial challenge study if ambient storage is desired. Some items, like custard/cream-filled pies/pastries, cheesecakes, and focaccia breads topped with cheese and fresh vegetables, need further evaluation to understand the food safety storage conditions, shelf life, and general food safety risks. Generally, most bakery items have low water activity (aw), pH, and a validated kill step within the baking process, which will prevent the growth of microorganisms and enable safe storage at ambient temperatures. First, product assortment and storage conditions must be understood. There are several factors to consider when evaluating food safety risks in retail bakery products. Both manufacturing facilities and bakery stores share common food safety challenges and require the proper design of food safety programs to minimize the risks inherent in bakery products and their production environment. Baked goods may range from those prepared in manufacturing facilities and sold at retail stores to specialty baked items prepared and sold in the stores themselves. Due to today’s hectic lifestyles, bakeries are taking the place of preparing homemade baked goods for everyday meals, school functions, and special occasions.
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