Mold and mice have been uncovered in several large-scale Bavarian bakeries, according to consumer watchdog Foodwatch. The group said "the real scandal" is that consumers didn't hear about the findings until now.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Knecht
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German food inspectors uncovered serious hygiene deficiencies in several bakery chains in Bavaria, said the Berlin-based consumer protection group Foodwatch in a report on Wednesday.
The report cited the results of 69 official food inspections carried out in the southern-German state between 2013 and 2016.
Three bakery chains in particular, which provide goods to hundreds of stores in Bavaria, performed particularly poorly during the inspections. Dirty machines, mouse droppings and beetle infestations were found at production sites.
Inspectors found rodent hair and chew marks on one bakery's Christmas products. In another area, water was found to be dripping on several cakes and mold was found in one room.
At another Bavarian bakery, cockroaches were found to be crawling through the flour and a small mound of rodent feces was even found baked into a wheat bread roll.
In a third bakery, a cockroach and maggot infestation was uncovered at a facility for doughnuts.
Metal shavings and strips of tape were also found baked into bread loaves, bread rolls and cookies, the report said.
No public report
Two of the bakery chains listed in the report maintained that the hygienic issues have long since been taken care of.
"We would like to apologize to our customers for the uncertainty caused by cases in the past," bakery chain Ihle said.
The Erlangen-based bakery "Der Beck," which has around 150 branches in the region, emphasized that moldy bread was never delivered to branches.
Unhygienic conditions aside, Foodwatch sharply criticized that the results from the food inspections were documented but not released to the public until now.
"The authorities' silence is the real scandal," said Foodwatch expert Johannes Heeg.
"Consumers have the right to know where everything is clean and where mice and cockroaches come and go," Foodwatch said.
The consumer protection group urged for Germany's state governments to legally require that food inspection results are published for the public.
Foodwatch also criticized that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition government has not fulfilled promises to improve the information provided to consumers.
Your German bakery favorites
We presented a collection of Germany's bakery bestsellers, from poppy seed cake to whole-grain rolls, and you responded with your sweet and savory favorites. Here's what DW readers crave from German bakeries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/fotototo
Marmorkuchen (marble cake)
In many German households, Oma's (grandma's) marble cake recipe is the only way to make it. The simple black and white, which is often topped with a thin chocolate glaze, is also a staple at German bakeries - and a favorite among DW readers. Click for more of the German baked goods that make you drool.
Image: Quade - Fotolia.com
Quarkbällchen (quark balls)
They look like donut holes, but they're so much more. Quark is a unique German dairy product that is thicker and less sour than yogurt, but thinner and not as sweet as cream cheese. That is the secret ingredient in these fluffy fried rounds, which also include flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and lots of eggs. Bet you can't eat just one! That's why they're usually sold several at a time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Schmid
Salami Brötchen (salami roll)
Most bakeries offer a selection of rolls with cheese, egg, turkey, ham, and other kinds of sandwich toppings. One DW reader prefers salami sandwiches, which combine two of Germany's culinary specialties: cured meats and fresh bread. They are commonly eaten for breakfast and as a mid-morning snack.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Schmid
Apfelkuchen (apple cake)
Not surprisingly, many DW readers crave Apfelstrudel, Austria's most famous treat. You can also get it in many German cafés, but usually not in bakeries, since it is served hot with ice cream or vanilla sauce and is not a to-go item. Apple fans, however, can look for all sorts of cold apple cakes in their corner bakery, where they are garnished with a dollop of whipped cream.
Image: Fotolia/M. Elflaco
Zimtschnecke (cinnamon snail)
Don't worry, no snails are actually harmed in the making of these treats, which consist of rolled up pastry dough generously sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and topped with a sweet sugar glaze. Granted, cinnamon rolls are popular in many countries, but in Germany the treats tend to be particularly large. Germans, by the way, refer to any rolled up pastry as a snail.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Wallace
Franzbrötchen (Franz roll)
A specialty from Hamburg, Franzbrötchen are created like a croissant - with thins layers of pastry dough - and a healthy portion of cinnamon. They're quite similar to Zimtschnecken, except that they are generally not sweetened with a sugar glaze.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Lux
Käsestange (cheese stick)
Pretzel dough is so beloved in Germany that it is also baked into logs and rolls. For a solid snack to-go, cheese and/or ham are sometimes baked into the top. It's easier to eat than a sandwich because the ingredients don't slide around.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Waldhaeusl
Amerikaner (American)
Oddly enough, the Germans have named this common baked good after their translatlantic friends, even though it can't be found in the US. One theory behind the name, though, is that the round flat cakes are make with baking soda, a typical American ingredient otherwise rare in baking-powder-loving Germany. Amerikaner are often glazed in black and white - or decorated with funny faces.
