One of my best customers found a hair in the icing of a cake I made for him right before Christmas. I am mortified. I bake in a pro kitchen, I have very short hair, always wear a hat, always on the lookout for this kind of thing, but even so...

He didn't request a refund (he's a friend's husband), just wanted to let me know for my own good so it wouldn't happen to other customers.

I apologized profusely, but don't know how to make it right besides returning the money which he doesn't want.

Has anyone else had this experience?

I have long hair and having one fall into the cake/icing is one of my biggest fears, since my hair seems to be all over the house. I bought 1000 hairnets for 50 cents at a flea market! Better that you found out this way than with a stranger....sorry it happened.

Accidents happen, the average human loses between 80-100 hairs a day and no matter the precations- every once in a great while an escapee is determined to makes it's way onto a food item.

Back in my grocery store bakery days, we wore hair nets and baseball hats over them (in an unsucessful attempt at hiding the ugliness of the nets) and still everyonce in a while we'd get a report of a hair being found in a cake. Of course we had certain customers who'd ALWAYS find a hair in their food and demand a refund....

Luckily for us the only two decorators were me-with black hair and the manager-who had light blond hair, and with every report we'd find out who made the cake and if the suspect hair matched the decorator or not- it was surprizing how many times it didn't match up! If the facts were in our favor we would explain this to the customer and tell them that perhaps the hair came from somebody at the party and would send them on their way sans refund, man oh man, that would fry some livers of certain customers.

I think since the customer isn't terribly upset and you've already apologized, it's a done deal....let go of the guilt - it will do you no good!

I have 2 cats, I usually clean, vacuum and clean every counter top and still have a hair or 2 in my icing. Im only a hobby baker and don't charge for cakes so nobody complains but I wonder what you gals do?

thin4life, I do all that but still find cat hair. my cats are #1- husband #1.2. close second lol. dont know what to do. always find cat hair.

When I was baking out of my home, I got rid of my dog (black hair) - gave her to my daughter just so this wouldn't happen. I wouldn't dream of baking out of a kitchen where dogs or cats are allowed. A friend of mine has 5 cats who jump up on the counter and the dining table and eating there makes me sick. That's just me - other people don't mind at all.

I ALWAYS wear a hair net and occasionally still find a hair. It happened and you apologized. You did "due diligence" by having short hair, wearing a hat, sanitizing. Some things are out of our control.

Now about the "cat hair" talk - all I can say is EWWWWWW!! That is why animals are not allowed in food facilities. I'd rather get a human hair than cat hair any day! JMO

I ALWAYS wear a hair net and occasionally still find a hair. It happened and you apologized. You did "due diligence" by having short hair, wearing a hat, sanitizing. Some things are out of our control.

Now about the "cat hair" talk - all I can say is EWWWWWW!! That is why animals are not allowed in food facilities. I'd rather get a human hair than cat hair any day! JMO

bakingpw. I once found a friend's dog hair in a package that she wrapped for me. I thought this was the grossest thing ever. animals are like kids. they are gross and full of germs unless they are yours. lol

I believe this is a concern for all of us, but the truth of the matter is that it's going to happen sooner or later. I have 2 cats, 1 that spends 24 x 7 upstairs and the other one who always comes in the kitchen when I'm baking. She ends upstair behind closed doors. I saw on TV that the FDA allows a percentage of animal & insect body parts in cooked food. A lady once found 1/2 of a rat in a bag of chips. Granted, it was fully cooked but that's pretty gross to me. I agree that hair in food is gross but I can guarantee that no one will every find a mouse or mouse poop or insects in a cake from my kitchen.

I think you did all you can do by apologizing and offering a refund.

I also have long hair and it's dark brown.I have found my hair a few times in the icing and wound around the mixer paddle once while mixing Go figure!!...Ehhh I know and I wear a hairnet as well.The good thing...is I can see it well enough because my hair is very dark but it has never been reported in a cake so that's good....It happens...if he doesn't want a refund just let it go and try to look out for next time.

Could it have happened after it left your shop. They always blame the baker, but people at the party could have shed some hair too.

I always run a sticky lint roller thing all over my clothing before I start baking....it always catches a few unnoticed hairs.

One snappy little answer nobody should really ever give a client is that hair is organic. But it's a lot of fun to say to soothe yourself.

Stuff happens.

I too have long brown hair & worry about this happening. You're not allowed to have pets in NC if you're a baker out of your home. Not complaining, just glad I can do it from my home PERIOD. A lot of states don't allow it.

I'm always scared of that too...I do the lint roller thing and keep my hair pulled tightly back...but still occasionally I find a hair in the fondant or cake...I guess its a good sign I actually FIND it!!!

Like other people have mentioned, it happens, though as you noticed, it's awfully embarassing. If you'd like to do something nice for him like a small batch of cupcakes for free, or a little gift certificate, it might make YOU feel better.

But seriously, I've read some dang scary information about food processing plants, etc. Like acceptable levels of rodent body parts and excrement in the food. *shudder* If we thought about those things too much, we'd never eat things like peanut butter and ice cream EVER again.

Ugh, now I feel sick!!

hair in food is NOT a health hazard and even tho' very unappetizing to find in your food....it will not make you sick. THis is taught in our food management class but the health department. Now if someone calls the HD and complains, they do go out and investigate to make sure that sanitation and hair restraints are followed. If they do not find any issues, there is no citation.

hair in food is NOT a health hazard and even tho' very unappetizing to find in your food....it will not make you sick. THis is taught in our food management class but the health department. Now if someone calls the HD and complains, they do go out and investigate to make sure that sanitation and hair restraints are followed. If they do not find any issues, there is no citation.

Regarding cat hair around the house. If you get several Purr Pads and place them around the house in the cat's favorite places, you will significantly cut down on your cat hair problem. Cats really like to lay on them (keeps them warm), so they tend to sleep in those designated areas. The Purr Pad attracts and locks the hair onto the pad while the cat is on it, so it is not floating all around the house. They really do work well. I wear black all the time and rarely have cat hair on my clothes, unless I go visit a particular friend that has five white cats and no Purr Pads.

You can find the Purr Pads at pets stores, Amazon, or Walmart.

Life happens. We do all we can. I brush my hair first and put it in a doo-rag. ALL my hair is covered. I do the lint roller of my clothing. And once in a blue moon I still find a hair.

After all of our precautions we still live in the real world Unfortunately some out customers live in fantasy land.