The 2016 General Mills flour recall, along with numerous downstream product recalls and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has highlighted the urgent need for manufacturers to enhance safety measures. Currently, several decontamination methods are being utilized or tested for flour, including heat treatment and pasteurization, which can adversely affect baking quality. While electron beams and cold plasma are promising, they face scalability challenges. Irradiation is also effective, but the FDA has not approved the higher doses necessary for flour. Presently, only heat treatment and pasteurization are commonly used in the industry.
Is it worthwhile for most manufacturers to invest in making flour safer? Flour is a particularly challenging ingredient to secure against contamination, as it can be compromised at various points in the supply chain—from the wheat grower to the milling process, from the manufacturing facility to the retail outlet. Generally, this is less of a concern since flour is typically an ingredient in products that undergo baking, frying, or microwaving, reaching temperatures high enough to eliminate pathogens. However, despite knowing the risks associated with foodborne illnesses, people often consume raw dough and batter. In response, the Food and Drug Administration has initiated a campaign to inform the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
Unfortunately, public service announcements (PSAs) are not always effective, placing some responsibility back on manufacturers. One strategy food companies are employing to mitigate pathogen risks is using only pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury uses treated flour in its raw cookie dough while advising customers against consuming it before baking. Other brands that promote pre-baking consumption, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, follow suit. Edoughble’s founder, Rana Lustyan, emphasized the importance of using heat-treated flour, stating, “I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t. It’s not worth the risk.”
Market options for 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. While these heat-treated options tend to be pricier than non-treated flours, they provide a crucial safety benefit. Given the public health risks and the substantial costs associated with recalls, manufacturers should also play a role in educating consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This education can be conveyed through product packaging, brand-sponsored recipes on social media, or in-store signage.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to discover a cost-effective and acceptable decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising functionality. Further research and the development of scalable testing procedures are essential before a viable solution can be achieved. As we celebrate the importance of food safety, it’s also critical to recognize that some flour products can be fortified with vitamins and calcium citrate, enhancing their nutritional profile and providing additional consumer benefits.