Fat Thursday in Poland is one of the most eagerly awaited culinary holidays of the year. Celebrated on the last Thursday before Lent, it symbolically closes the carnival season. On this day, doughnuts, faworki (angel wings) and other sweet pastries reign supreme, and tradition says that it is worth indulging in a little – and sometimes even a few – sweet treats.
For confectioners and bakers, it is a real test of organisation. Sales on a single day can equal several ‘normal’ working days, production continues throughout the night, and any delay or mistake can mean real financial losses.
However, although this day most exposes the weaknesses of the technical infrastructure, the truth is that temperature and humidity stability is important throughout the year.
Fat Thursday acts like a magnifying glass – it reveals what may remain invisible in everyday work.
Cold storage at peak season – a high-risk scenario
In the run-up to Fat Thursday, cold stores are filled to capacity. Eggs, butter, cream, milk, yeast, ready-made fillings, creams, semi-finished products – everything must be available at the right time and under the right conditions.
Milk and egg-based products are particularly microbiologically sensitive. Good hygiene practices and HACCP principles indicate the need to store them at a strictly controlled refrigeration temperature (usually between 2 and 8°C, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations). Not only the temperature itself is crucial, but also its stability.
On days of increased production, cold store doors are opened repeatedly. Each opening allows warmer air to enter, increasing humidity, placing a greater load on the refrigeration unit and creating the risk of temporary fluctuations in parameters.
This is an extreme situation, but similar phenomena, albeit on a smaller scale, also occur on normal working days. The difference is that they are easier to overlook during the off-season.
This is why it is so important that conditions in exhibition halls, storage rooms or temporary exhibition spaces are constantly monitored, rather than controlled only on an ad hoc basis.
Good storage practices – the foundation of year-round safety
Regardless of whether the busiest sales day of the year is approaching or it is a quiet week in the off-season, it is worth consistently applying proven rules:
- Systematic temperature control and documentation – in accordance with the HACCP procedure, including more frequent readings at times of increased load.
- Planning work in the cold store – limiting the number of door openings by collecting larger batches of raw materials at one time.
- Do not overload the chambers – maintain space for free air circulation and proper operation of refrigeration equipment.
- Apply the FIFO (First In, First Out) principle – proper batch marking and rotation control.
- Humidity control in sensitive areas – especially in proofing chambers, chocolate storage rooms and finished product storage rooms.
Humidity is an often underestimated parameter, but it is of great importance in confectionery. Air that is too dry during proofing can lead to the surface of the dough becoming dry, and excessive humidity in the chocolate product storage room promotes the formation of sugar bloom. The result? The product may look stale, even though it is safe to eat.
Monitoring as part of ongoing risk management
During a period such as Fat Thursday, it is easy to see the value of automatic monitoring, as every hour of cold store downtime can mean thousands of pounds in losses. However, the real power of such solutions is revealed in everyday work.
Temperature and humidity monitoring systems, such as CoolSens®, support the production plant throughout the year because:
- They record data continuously (24/7) – without gaps resulting from the lack of manual readings.
- They send alarms when set thresholds are exceeded – enabling a quick response even outside working hours.
- They automate HACCP documentation – eliminating the risk of human error and gaps in records.
- They enable the analysis of long-term trends – e.g. a gradual decline in the efficiency of a refrigeration unit.
As a result, monitoring is no longer a ‘just in case’ solution, but becomes a tool for quality and technical infrastructure management.
Daily repeatability is more important than one-off success
Although Fat Thursday is spectacular, it is daily, repeatable quality that builds the reputation of a bakery. A stable storage temperature for creams affects their structure and shelf life. The right humidity in the fermentation chamber translates into uniform dough growth. Controlling the conditions in the finished product warehouse helps to maintain the aesthetics of glazes and decorations.
Small deviations that do not cause visible losses on a single day can, in the long term, lead to a reduction in product shelf life, an increased number of complaints or higher raw material costs.
That is why more and more modern confectioneries and bakeries treat monitoring not as a cost, but as part of their operating standard – just like equipment servicing or regular staff training.
Fat Thursday is the moment when the risk of temperature and humidity fluctuations is most apparent. However, the rules for safe food storage apply 365 days a year.
Consistent application of good practices, supported – if necessary – by automatic monitoring, not only secures production during the peak season, but above all maintains stable food quality and safety every day.
Because in a well-managed confectionery, controlling storage conditions is not something done ‘on special occasions’ – it is a permanent part of professional craftsmanship.
Enjoy Fat Thursday!
