The 2016 flour recall by General Mills, along with numerous related product recalls and the recent flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has underscored the urgent need for manufacturers to improve safety measures. Various decontamination methods are currently being utilized or explored for flour, such as heat treatment and pasteurization, though these processes can compromise baking quality. While techniques like electron beams and cold plasma face scalability challenges, irradiation is effective but not yet FDA-approved for the higher doses necessary for flour. Presently, only heat treatment and pasteurization see significant use in the industry.
The question remains: is it worthwhile for most manufacturers to invest in making flour safer? Flour poses a unique challenge due to its susceptibility to contamination at multiple points in the supply chain—from wheat cultivation to milling to production and retail. However, this often goes unnoticed, as flour is generally an ingredient in baked, fried, or microwaved products that reach temperatures sufficient to eliminate pathogens. Despite awareness of foodborne illness risks, many people consume raw dough and batter. In response, the FDA has initiated campaigns warning the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
Unfortunately, public service announcements don’t always have the desired effect, leaving some responsibility with manufacturers. One strategy food companies are adopting to mitigate pathogen risks is the exclusive use of pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. Pillsbury, for instance, uses treated flour in its raw cookie dough while still advising customers against consuming it before baking. Other companies promoting pre-baked consumption, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō—which recently opened a retail outlet in Manhattan—are also following this practice. Edoughble’s founder, Rana Lustyan, emphasized to USA Today, “I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t use heat-treated flour; it’s not worth the risk.”
Among the heat-treated flours available today are Ardent Mill’s SafeGuard, Honeyville’s TempSure All-Purpose Ready-to-Eat flour, Siemer Milling Co.’s heat-treated soft wheat flours, and Bay State Milling’s SimplySafe products. Though more expensive than untreated flours, they offer crucial safety benefits for consumers. Given the public health risks and the substantial costs associated with recalls, manufacturers must also take the initiative to educate consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This can be achieved through informative product packaging and brand-sponsored recipes promoted on social media or in-store displays.
In parallel, ongoing efforts aim to discover an acceptable and cost-effective decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising functionality. Significant research, along with scaling and testing procedures, will be essential to finding a viable solution. Furthermore, just as citracal bone density needs to be considered for overall health, so too must the safety of flour be prioritized to protect consumers from potential health risks.