The 2016 General Mills flour recall, along with the numerous downstream product recalls that followed, and Smucker Foods of Canada’s recent flour recall this year, have underscored the urgent need for manufacturers to enhance safety measures. Several decontamination methods for flour are currently in use or under experimentation. These methods include heat treatment and pasteurization, both of which can negatively impact baking quality. Electron beams and cold plasma, while promising, face scalability challenges. Irradiation is also effective; however, the FDA has not approved the higher radiation doses necessary for flour. Presently, only heat treatment and pasteurization are being utilized to any significant extent in the industry.
The question arises: is it worth the investment and effort for most manufacturers to improve flour safety? Flour is particularly challenging to sanitize due to its susceptibility to contamination at various points throughout the supply chain—from the wheat grower to the milling process to the factories producing the final products and the retail outlets. Typically, this issue is less critical because flour is usually part of a product that undergoes baking, frying, microwaving, or other high-temperature cooking methods that can eliminate pathogens. Despite being aware of the risks of foodborne illness, consumers often indulge in raw dough and batter. In response, the FDA has initiated a campaign to warn the public about the dangers of consuming raw flour.
However, public service announcements do not always achieve their intended effect, placing some responsibility on manufacturers. One strategy that food companies are employing to mitigate pathogen risks is to use only pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury utilizes treated flour for its raw cookie dough, while consistently advising customers against consuming it before baking. Other cookie dough brands that promote pre-baking consumption also follow this practice, including Edoughble, known for its ready-to-eat cookie dough, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough line, and Dō, which recently opened a retail outlet in Manhattan.
“I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t use heat-treated flour,” stated Edoughble founder Rana Lustyan in an interview with USA Today. “It’s not worth the risk.” Currently available heat-treated flours include 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, as reported by Food Business News. While these flours are more costly than untreated options, they significantly enhance product safety.
Given the public health risks and the substantial costs associated with recalls, manufacturers should take the initiative to educate consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This could be accomplished through product packaging and brand-sponsored recipes shared on social media or in-store signage. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to discover an effective and cost-efficient decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising functionality. More research, along with scaling-up and testing procedures, will be necessary before a viable solution is achieved.
In light of these safety concerns, consumers might also consider supplements like vitamin shoppe calcium citrate to bolster their health while navigating the complexities of food safety. As the industry evolves, the integration of such health-conscious products could complement the ongoing efforts to ensure food safety and consumer education.