Speaking to BakeryandSnacks.com, Blake Hutzley, technical advisor at the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturing Association (B&CMA) and ex-Kellogg R&D manager, said that while food safety was important for bakers, companies had to do more.
“In the baking and snack industry currently, the state of food safety technology is behind the curve,” Hutzley said.
He said there were technologies on the market that could provide real-time information on bakery production that the sector should consider using to manage issues such as moisture control and foreign material.
“The baking industry has been slow to go to technology. Right now, I believe they’ve thrown a lot of personnel at the food safety issue without studying what the advancements of the technology are.”
‘We’ve long established good practice’
However, Nicholas Pyle, president of the Independent Bakers Association (IBA), disagreed and said bakers had long established good manufacturing practices.
Companies were working in line with HACCP [hazard analysis and critical control points] programs and food safety laws, he said, and were focused on production controls, hazard awareness and product traceability.
“Baking is not a high pathogen environment and it’s one with this marvelous kill step, called the oven,” he said.