Baker on the uprising: Hobby cookies threaten the Christmas bakery!

In the home landscape, it is bubbling hard! The rush of hobby bakers, which offer homemade cookies over social media, offer traditional bakeries on alert. According to reports from Today. Christian Heiss, guild master of the Lower Austrian bakers, describes the Situation as frustrating, since private providers are able to offer 200 to 300 kilograms of cookies for only 30 euros per kilo - while commercial bakers have to request around 50 euros.

The background: As long as the hobby bakers sell their products in small quantities, they move in the legal frame. However, the border between hobby and illegality blurs with increasing quantities and the use of special devices that often do not meet the required hygiene standards. "There are even bakers that offer up to 500 kilos and handle all regulations," continues Heiss, who indicates the warnings of possible punishments of up to 3,600 euros. This widespread practice not only endangers the existence of the local bakers, but also the quality and safety of the food on offer, since many of these cookies are sold without the necessary markings about ingredients, as noe.orf.at reports.

dangers and hygiene standards

In modern cookie production, transparency and hygiene are of the utmost importance. Heiss explains that the production of cookies requires many ingredients, in contrast to the simpler creations that are often made by hobby bakers. "There are a lot of products inside in such cookies: doughs, glasses, jams. You have to specify all ingredients on the label, you sit for hours for it," he emphasizes. The problem of labeling could mislead consumers and offers the reason for concern in terms of food safety, i.e. the safety of food.

The discussion about the unfair competitive conditions in the biscuit industry will continue to gain intensity, while the bakeries are fighting for their existence. The local bakers only hope that the consumer will recognize the value of craft quality and that the falling prices of hobby bakers will not support in the long term.