How can bakery food safety be ensured for the consumer?

Common pathogens require these factors for growth, thus controlling these factors can decreases their growth or toxin production.

Ø Availability of Nutrients
Ø Favorable Temperature
Ø Moisture Contents
Ø Proper acid level (acidity)

In the case of baked products, the chief factor that determines the self-life and safety of the products is the moisture contents.

Available Nutrients:
Flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and some other bakery food ingredients are excellent nutrients for microorganisms. Since it is not possible to prepare a quality bakery product without the use of these ingredients, it is unrealistic to consider restricting nutrients as a method of ensuring food safety.

Proper Temperature:
Most microorganisms grow best at temperatures near body temperature; however, they can also grow and multiply at temperatures between 45°Fahrenheit (F) and 140°F. Government regulations require that food products capable of supporting microbial growth must be stored above 140°F or below 45°F to ensure safety. Ambient temperature distribution conditions for bakery foods provide suitable temperature ranges for rapid growth of common food pathogens. Thus, unless bakery products are shipped and stored refrigerated or frozen, temperature control is not a viable method for ensuring food safety.

Proper Level of Acidity:
Microorganisms will grow in a wide range of acidity (commonly measured as pH). As shown in Table II, most bakery products fall within this pH range. Changing the pH of many cake products is not possible without adversely affecting the color, flavor, or texture of the product. Government guidelines require the pH to be below 4.6 for the product to be considered safe. Since most bakery products (with the exception of such items as fruit fillings/toppings) have pH above 4.6, the use of acidity as a general method to ensure food safety is very limited.

TABLE II
pH growth ranges for micro-organisms compared to typical ranges for cakes

Table 1: Approximate pH Growth Ranges of Organisms

Micro-organisms Approximate pH Growth Ranges of Organisms
E. coli 4.4 to 9.0
Salmonella 4.5 to 8.0
Molds 2.0 to 11.0
Yeast 2.5 to 8.5


Table 2: Cakes pH range

Cakes Product pH Range
Chocolate Cake 7.5 to 8.0
Devil’s Food Cake 8.0 to 9.0
Yellow Layer Cake 6.7 to 7.5
Chocolate Buttercream Icing 6.3 to 7.0
Cheese Danish 5.3 to 5.8
Pound Cake 6.8 to 7.0


Moisture Control:
Thus, with the exception of acidic foods, only one mechanism for ensuring food safety is practical-restriction of available moisture.



Donald K. (1985). ENSURING FOOD SAFETY IN BAKERY PRODUCTS. Dubois Volume VII, Issue 9 I September, 1985. Available at: https://secure.aibonline.org/subscribers/techbulletins/v07iss09.txt. Accessed on: 31st March, 2008.