Baker’s asthma, a form of occupational asthma, is a significant yet under-recognized health risk in the food production industry. This condition, primarily caused by exposure to flour dust, enzymes, and other allergens in baking environments, can severely impact respiratory health, leading to chronic breathing difficulties and reduced quality of life. Workers in bakeries, pastry production facilities, and biscuit manufacturing plants are particularly vulnerable, facing daily exposure to these hazardous particles.
Despite its prevalence, awareness of occupational asthma in bakeries remains limited, leaving workers vulnerable to its potentially debilitating effects. According to The Conversation, globally, between 12% and 26% of bakers suffer from allergic rhinitis (itchy eyes) or conjunctivitis (runny nose), and between 15% and 21% experience baker’s asthma.
This condition is caused by inflammation of the airways due to regular and prolonged exposure to flour and grains (such as wheat, rye, barley, soy, or buckwheat), additives and enzymes used in baking, and other allergens commonly found in bakeries. These allergens can include eggs or egg powder, sesame seeds, yeast, nuts, as well as non-food allergens like dust mites and molds.
Flour dust is a pervasive presence in commercial bakeries and other high-volume operations, produced during various activities including loading flour and other ingredients into mixers, dusting flour onto baking surfaces, dry sweeping flour from the floor or other surfaces, and disposing of empty flour bags.
Studies from around the world highlight the high incidences of occupational asthma among bakers.
In France, researchers analyzed 330 cases of occupational asthma over three years using data provided by a network of respiratory doctors. Their findings, presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress, revealed that flour was the primary cause, accounting for 20% of the cases. Similarly, in Poland, 44.5% of bakers experiencing respiratory symptoms at work were diagnosed with occupational asthma.
The issue extends to Israel as well. A recent article in The Jerusalem Post referred to baker’s asthma as “Hanukkah’s hidden hazard” because of the 30 million donuts or sufganiyot produced in Israeli bakeries during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, resulting in a spike in workplace respiratory issues.
“Exposure to flour dust ranks as a leading cause of occupational asthma,” says Mark Davidson, Manager of Technical Materials at Camfil USA, a manufacturer of commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control. According to Davidson, a recent removal of a bakery client’s filters yielded the collection of 17 pounds of flour from the air.
The UK has documented alarming statistics regarding the incidence of asthma among bakers. A study revealed that the incidence of asthma among bakers is 83.1 times higher than in other occupations, including vehicle plant technicians, plant and machine operatives, cooks, hairdressers and barbers, and welders. Baking was also identified as the most dangerous occupation in the UK.
Historical figures from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that the average rate of new reported cases of occupational asthma among bakers was 37 per 100,000 per year between 2007 and 2016, compared to just 0.4 across all occupations.
In 2018, a UK manufacturer of baked goods was fined more than £160,000 after staff were consistently exposed to health risks over an extended period, with many being medically diagnosed with occupational asthma. An investigation by the HSE found no effective method of control to prevent dust from becoming airborne and exposing employees to respiratory hazards. During the trial, the health inspector commented on the serious and debilitating health effects of exposure to flour dust in an industrial setting.
A UK study revealed that the incidence of asthma among bakers is 83.1 times higher than in other … [+]
According to a study conducted by Nicola Cherry, an occupational epidemiologist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, flour often contains alpha amylase. This enzyme is added to flour-based recipes in professional kitchens to improve yeast rising in the oven but can also act as an airborne allergen. When inhaled, the particles can become lodged in lung tissue, leading to chronic inflammation after years of exposure.
“Alpha amylase has been found to cause allergies in bakers who have been exposed over the past 20 years or so,” Cherry explains. “We found that the more they are exposed, the more likely they are to be affected.”
To mitigate these occupational hazards, some countries have proposed workplace exposure limits for flour dust. Exposure can also be minimized by replacing normal flour with low-dust flour, using masks, or improving ventilation and air filtration systems in professional kitchens. Davidson recommends “installing a supplemental air cleaner with high efficiency filters. For larger applications, a full-sized dust collector with cartridge-style filters may be more appropriate.”
The seemingly benign setting of a bakery masks the serious health risks faced by its workers, with baker’s asthma posing a significant threat. It’s critical for stakeholders, from employers to policymakers, to acknowledge and address these hazards to ensure the well-being of those working in the baking industry. These hidden dangers must be brought to light to protect those who bring us our daily bread.