In 1272, the bakers' guild in Berlin appointed two sworn masters to oversee the quality of bread production, ensuring that loaves were not adulterated with inferior ingredients. Guilds across medieval Europe played a crucial role in regulating food trades, punishing members who used sawdust, chalk, or other fillers to bulk out bread. These early consumer protections were driven by the guilds' desire to maintain trust and uphold their reputations.

Medieval guild regulations were frequently referenced in civic pageants and mystery plays, which often included scenes of tradesmen being judged for their honesty. Poets and chroniclers, such as those recording the lives of saints and sinners, used the figure of the corrupt baker as a moral warning. This tradition of associating food adulteration with spiritual corruption persisted into the early modern period, appearing in works like Robert Greene's cony-catching pamphlets.