Baking is a method of cooking food that uses prolonged dry heat, normally in an oven, but also

in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of
foods are baked.[1] Heat is gradually transferred "from the surface of cakes, cookies, and breads
to their centre. As heat travels through it transforms batters and doughs into baked goods with a
firm dry crust and a softer centre".[2] Baking can be combined with grilling to produce a
hybrid barbecue variant by using both methods simultaneously, or one after the other. Baking is
related to barbecuing because the concept of themasonry oven is similar to that of a smoke pit.
Because of historical social and familial roles, baking has traditionally been performed at home
by women for domestic consumption and by men in bakeries and restaurants for local
consumption. When production was industrialized, baking was automated by machines in large
factories. The art of baking remains a fundamental skill and is important for nutrition, as baked
goods, especially breads, are a common but important food, both from an economic and cultural
point of view. A person who prepares baked goods as a profession is called a baker.

The baking ingredients and its application

Baking powder is probably the most common aerating agent in baked products like cakes. It is
made up of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Baking powder is a chemical aeration agent.
Eggs are another basic ingredient in many baked products. They provide structure, aeration, flavour
and moisture. They also tenderise cakes and add colour and nutritive value.
Fats and oils Generally, fats are solid while oils are liquid. Fats come from a variety of animals and
plants. Oils mostly come from plants. In baking, butter, margarine, shortening and oils are commonly
used. Their main functions are to shorten or tenderise the product, to trap air during creaming and so
aerate the cake during baking to give good volume and texture, to assist with layering in puff pastry,
to help prevent curdling by forming an emulsion, and to add flavour. They also provide some
nutritive value. It is important to add the correct amount of fat as too much far will make the baked
product greasy and unpleasant to eat, while too little fat will leave you with a product that lacks
flavour and stales quickly.
Flour is the ingredient on which most baked products are based. Flour is made up of starch, protein,
sugar and minerals. The protein content decides what the end use of the flour will be.
Milk is used in baked products to improve texture and mouthfeel. The protein in milk also gives a
soft crumb structure in cakes, and contributes to the moisture, colour and flavour of a baked product.
Cakes that contain milk also tend to have a longer shelf life.
Salt is usually only added in very small amounts to baked products, but it has a noticeable effect on
the flavour of baked products. It not only provides its own flavour but brings out the natural flavour of
other ingredients. In bread doughs, salt strengthens gluten and improves the consistency of the
dough. Carbon dioxide given off by the yeast is more easily trapped by the strengthened gluten,
which makes a better loaf of bread. Salt is also a good preservative as it
absorbs water so there is less free water for bacterial and fungal growth.

Sugar gives cakes and other baked products sweetness and is used in many forms and many ways.
In yeast raised products, sugar acts as food for the yeast. In cakes, sugar assists with the aeration
and stabilising of batters. Sugars improve the crust colour of baked products, improve flavour and
help to retain moisture, keeping products softer for longer and so reducing staling. Examples of
sugar forms are granulated sugar, castor sugar and icing sugar. Sugar also comes in liquid forms
such as syrup, treacle, corn syrup, honey and caramel.

Yeast belongs to the fungi family. It ferments carbohydrates (sugars) to produce carbon dioxide
gases and alcohol, which aerate bread and other yeasted products, giving it volume and texture.
These by-products of yeast also contribute to the colour and aroma of bread and other yeasted
products

Contamination food bourne illness

Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and colloquially referred to as food poisoning)[1] is
any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses,
or parasites that contaminate food,[2] as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous
mushrooms and various species of beans that have not been boiledfor at least 10
minutes.Symptoms vary depending on the cause, and are described below in this article. A few
broad generalizations can be made, e.g.: The incubation period ranges from hours to days,
depending on the cause and on how much was consumed. The incubation period tends to cause
sufferers to not associate the symptoms with the item consumed, and so to cause sufferers to
attribute the symptoms to gastroenteritis for example. Symptoms often include vomiting, fever, and
aches, and may include diarrhea. Bouts of vomiting can be repeated with an extended delay in
between, because even if infected food was eliminated from the stomach in the first
bout, microbes (if applicable) can pass through thestomach into the intestine via cells lining the
intestinal walls and begin to multiply. Some types of microbes stay in the intestine, some produce
a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream, and some can directly invade deeper body tissues.

Prevention of cross contamination

By Direct Cross Contamination contact between raw food and ready-to-eat food during
transport, storage or preparation
By Indirect Cross Contamination - spread of bacteria from raw food to ready-to-eat food via
food handlers, equipment or surfaces. For example, indirect cross contamination can occur via
refrigerator door handles, knives, chopping boards, work surfaces, chefs cloths or cleaning
cloths.
Cross contamination has frequently been found to be the cause of food poisoning
outbreaks. Bacteria in contaminated food are not visible to the naked eye and do

not cause noticeable food spoilage or affect taste, smell or texture. Importantly,
ready-to-eat food must be protected from cross contamination at all times. This is
because there are no further controls to protect your customers from the risk of
food poisoning, once contamination has taken place.

Cross contamination
the passing of bacteria, microorganisms, or other harmful substancesindirectly f
rom one patient to another through improper or unsterileequipment, procedures
,or products; also written cross-contaminationCross contamination can be transf
erred to food by hands, food-contactsurfaces, sponges, cloth towels and utensil
s that touch raw food, are notcleaned, and then touch ready-to-eat foods.

Personal hygiene for food handlers

Food handlers personal hygiene practices and cleanliness must minimise the risk of food
contamination.The most important things they need to know are that they must:

- do whatever is reasonable to prevent their body, anything from their body or anything they are
wearing, coming into contact with food or food contact surfaces;
- do whatever is reasonable to stop unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food;
- wear clean outer clothing, depending on the type of work they do;
- make sure bandages or dressings on any exposed parts of the body are covered with a
waterproof covering;
- not eat over unprotected food or surfaces likely to come in contact with food;
- not sneeze, blow or cough over unprotected food or surfaces likely to come into contact with
food;
- not spit, smoke or use tobacco or similar preparations where food is handled; and
- not urinate or defecate except in a toilet.
Food handlers are expected to wash their hands whenever their hands are likely to contaminate food.This
includes washing their hands:

immediately before working with ready-to-eat food after handling raw food;

immediately after using the toilet;

before they start handling food or go back to handling food after other work;

immediately after smoking, coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable

tissue, eating, drinking or using tobacco or similar substances; and

after touching their hair, scalp or a body opening.

How should food handlers wash their hands?

Use the hand washing facilities provided by the business.

Clean their hands thoroughly using soap or other effective means.

Use warm running water.

Dry their hands thoroughly on a single use towel or in another way that is not likely to
transfer disease-causing organisms onto the hands.

HACCP
Hazard analysis and critical control point. Food production, storage,
and distribution monitoring system for identification
and control of associated health hazards. It is aimed
at prevention of contamination, instead of end-product evaluation. In place of
relying on food inspectors to detect food safety problems, HACCP shifts
the responsibility to the food producer to ensure that the product is safely
consumable. Proposed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for the
food industry in general, and meat, poultry, and seafood industry in particular, it
has been adopted by some 150 countries.