Food safety, HACCP and self-inspection in practice
How the modern building is structured
Food safety is about ensuring that what the customer eats does not make them sick. In a bakery where you work with eggs, cream, crème and fillings, it is not a formality — it is a daily discipline. The Food Authority carries out inspections, and all food companies must have self-inspection that documents that the rules are followed.
§Dangerous chemical waste alone.
Bacteria Multiply Fastest in What Professionals Call the Danger Zone — the Temperature Range Where Easily Perishable Foods Must not Remain Unnecessarily Long. Chilled Items Like Creams, Dairy Products and Spreads Must According to the Food Authority's Hygiene Guidelines Generally be Stored at Maximum 5 °C. At That Temperature the Growth of Most Disease-Causing Bacteria is Significantly Slowed.
§The 14 labelling allergens
The EU's Food Information Regulation (1169/2011) specifies 14 allergens that must always be disclosed when they are present in a food product. In a bakery, several of them are absolutely central—gluten, eggs, milk, nuts, and sesame occur daily. Cross-contamination is a real risk: flour creates dust, and nut residues can end up in products that shouldn't contain nuts.
- 01Gluten-containing cereal products, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya, milk
- 02Celery mustard sesame seeds sulphur dioxide/sulphites lupin molluscs and (tree) nuts
- 03For loose sales the information must be able to be provided to the customer — verbally or in writing
§What are HACCP and self-control?
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is the basis for how self-checking is built up.
| Danger of electrical shock and operational disruption for many customers. | Critical point | Inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Bacterial Growth | Cool and storage | Temperature log, maximum 5 °C |
| Allergens | Fill, decorate, marking | Separation, correct declaration |
| Foreign bodies | Reception, production | Visual inspection sifting |
| Pests | Warehouse | Rotation, sealing, securing |
§Traceability and documentation
Food companies must be able to document one step forward and one step back — that is, where the raw materials came from and who the products were sold to (for wholesale). Together with temperature log, cleaning schedule and reception control, it forms the paper trail that the Food Authority looks at during inspection visits and which underlies the smiley scheme.
“Good self-monitoring is not paper for paper's sake — it is proof that you can trust your own production.”
— Basic food trade rule