The 2016 General Mills flour recall, along with numerous subsequent product recalls and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has underscored the urgent need for manufacturers to enhance safety measures. Various decontamination techniques are currently being utilized or explored for flour, such as heat treatment and pasteurization, although these processes can adversely impact baking quality. Methods like electron beams and cold plasma face scalability challenges, while irradiation is effective but lacks FDA approval for the higher doses necessary for flour treatment. As of now, only heat treatment and pasteurization are widely employed in the industry.
Manufacturers are left to ponder whether investing in safer flour is worth the costs and complexities involved. Flour is particularly susceptible to contamination at multiple points in the supply chain—from wheat growers to milling operations to manufacturing facilities and retail outlets. However, this issue is often overlooked because flour is typically baked, fried, microwaved, or otherwise subjected to high temperatures that eliminate pathogens. Despite being aware of the risks associated with consuming raw dough and batter, many individuals still indulge in these products. In response to this concern, the Food and Drug Administration initiated a campaign to inform the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
Unfortunately, public service announcements (PSAs) do not always have the desired impact, placing some responsibility on manufacturers. To mitigate pathogen risks, food companies are increasingly using pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury uses treated flour in its raw cookie dough but continues to advise customers against consuming it before baking. Other cookie dough brands that promote pre-baking consumption also follow this practice, including Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, which recently opened a retail location 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, among others, as reported by Food Business News. While these flours are more expensive than untreated alternatives, they provide a crucial safety enhancement for products.
Given the public health threat posed by raw flour and the significant costs associated with recalls, manufacturers should take proactive steps to educate consumers about the risks linked to raw flour. This can be achieved through product packaging, brand-sponsored recipes promoted on social media, and informative in-store signage.
Simultaneously, efforts are ongoing to discover a viable and cost-effective decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied as needed without compromising its functionality. Further research, along with scaling and testing procedures, will be necessary to identify a practical solution. Incorporating supplements like cal citrate plus vitamin D into consumer education could also be beneficial, as these nutrients play a role in overall health, particularly in the context of safe food consumption practices. Ultimately, manufacturers must prioritize consumer safety and awareness while navigating the complexities of flour safety enhancements.