The bakery occupies significant market share among food processing industry and consumer goods. At the sale points, sale persons usually wear hand gloves to give the impression of adherence to food safety and hygiene principles whereas under a typical scenario the production unit of the same sale point might not have even have a soap for hand washing in the worker’s toilet. Through this study we assessed the level of food safety practices at production plant and sale point of the bakery items. Along with this, the level of awareness in employees regarding to food safety and personal hygiene were also assessed. The present study was conducted to evaluate the current food safety practices at bakeries from all towns of district Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Qasur. Data was collected from different districts of Central Punjab as Lahore 60%, Faisalabad 20%, Gujranwala 10%, Sheikhupura 5% and Qasur 5%.A modified questionnaire was used as study tool, consisted of 90 questions. These questions belong to food safety practices related to manufacturing, storage, personal hygiene, packing material, raw material, working environment and plant layout.
The results of present study showed that there is urgent need of taking steps for implementation of food safety regulations and training of concerned food handlers. All the stakeholders in food supply chain plays important role at different stages of the process. So every stakeholder involved in this chain is required to be equipped with the proper training regarding safe handling practices and safe production of food. The present study showed that there is urgent need of improvement in different areas of production. The present study showed that there is urgent need of improvement in 22.5% bakeries for food safety training, 29.5% for sanitation, 15% for personnel health, 27.5% for personnel hygiene, 22.5% for processing plant layout, 19.5% for premises management, 26.5% for pest management, 21% for food production and 20%for storage. There are also such bakeries which require major improvements, which are 26.5% for food trainings, 17% for sanitation, 18% for personnel health, 37.5% for personnel hygiene, 19.5% for processing plant layout, 17% for premises, 38% for pest management, 33.5% for food production, 40% for storage. Some bakeries require improvements, which are 21% for food trainings, 32% for sanitation, 35.5% for personnel health, 19.5%% for personnel hygiene, 34% for processing plant layout, 34% for premises, 19% for pest management, 31% for food production, 24.5% for storage. There is very little percentage of the bakeries which maintain good standards of safety and hygiene. Which is 12.5% for food safety training, 19% for sanitation, 22.5% for personnel health, 10% for personnel hygiene, 12.5% for processing plant layout, 19% for premises, 10% for pest management, 8% for food production and13% for storage.
These results clearly represents the poor condition of bakeries in central Punjab. This is due to lack of government interest in this sector, involvement of illiterate food handlers and lack of awareness of consumers. This situation can be handled with the implementation of government regulations and food laws, systematic monitoring of bakeries, trainings of the concerned stakeholders and spreading awareness in consumers. These steps are very necessary to be taken to overcome malnutrition and foodborne diseases.