The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Austin-based Alpha Baking for safety issues at its Austin bakery at 5001 W. Polk St., and its bakery in the Hermosa neighborhood, at 4545 W. Lyndale St.
According to OSHA, the Austin bakery was cited for three repeat and three serious safety violations allegedly uncovered last year. The agency also flagged an incident in September 2025 at the Hermosa bakery, where a worker allegedly broke his arm while working on the production line.
OSHA announced the citations on March 16. Alpha Baking has 15 days to either pay the fines and address the issues, request a conference with OSHA or contest the findings with the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company indicated to Austin Weekly News that it is cooperating with OSHA.
Alpha Baking was founded in 1979, though many of the bakeries it acquired date back much further than that. Most notably, it purchased Mary Ann Baking Company, the creator of the classic Chicago style poppy seed hot dog bun. Alpha Baking is currently the corporate parent of S. Rosen’s Baking Company, which has been baking Jewish hearth rye breads and variety rolls since 1909. It also owns Natural Ovens Bakery, Kreamo, Golden Hearth, and Castle brands.
Alpha Baking has three bakeries in Chicago, one in La Porte, Indiana, one in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and one in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Its website boasts 18 production lines overall.
According to OSHA, in September 2025, an employee at the Hermosa bakery had their arm broken while clearing dough from a machine on the production line. The agency records don’t elaborate further, and don’t mention the date of the incident – just that the report was filed on Sept. 19, 2025.
The reported issues at the Austin bakery were uncovered during an investigation that opened on May 1, 2025. According to OSHA records, the issues included failure to follow proper safety procedures and practices. For example, the employees didn’t make sure that a metal shaft at the bread slicer and bagger machine wasn’t protruding too far, which meant that workers clothes could be caught in it. OSHA also fined the bakery because it allegedly didn’t properly train employees on how to safely handle electric control panels, which led to employees getting shocked. It flagged other training issues that put employees at risk.
The fines currently total $326,276.
When reached by email, Alpha Baking spokesperson Stephanie Powell responded that “the safety and well-being of our employees is always our top priority.”
“We look forward to working with OSHA as they conduct their ongoing inquiry,” she said.