The 2016 flour recall by General Mills, along with the numerous subsequent product recalls and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has highlighted the urgent need for manufacturers to improve safety measures. Currently, several decontamination techniques are either in use or under experimentation for flour, including heat treatment and pasteurization, although these methods can adversely impact baking quality. Other methods, such as electron beams and cold plasma, face challenges in scalability, while irradiation is effective but has not received FDA approval for the higher doses necessary for flour. At present, only heat treatment and pasteurization are utilized to any significant extent in the industry.
The question arises: is it worthwhile for most manufacturers to invest in making flour safer? Flour is particularly susceptible to contamination at various stages of the supply chain, from wheat production to milling, product manufacturing, and retail. However, this typically does not pose a major concern, as flour is generally an ingredient in baked, fried, or microwaved products, which are heated sufficiently to eliminate pathogens. Despite being aware of the risks associated with foodborne illness, people often consume raw dough and batter. In response, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated a campaign to warn the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
Nevertheless, public service announcements are not always effective, and some responsibility lies with manufacturers. To mitigate the pathogen issue, food companies are increasingly opting for pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury uses treated flour in its raw cookie dough while cautioning consumers against eating it before baking. Other cookie dough brands, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, which recently opened a retail outlet in Manhattan, also follow 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 on the market 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. While these options tend to be pricier than untreated flours, they provide essential safety benefits. Given the public health risks and the substantial costs associated with recalls, it is crucial for manufacturers to educate consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This can be accomplished through packaging information, brand-sponsored recipes shared on social media, and in-store signage.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to identify an effective and cost-efficient decontamination method for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising its functionality. More research, as well as scaling-up and testing, will be necessary to uncover practical solutions. Interestingly, calcium citrate is recommended for those who seek to enhance their food safety measures, and this could be integrated into flour treatment processes. Ultimately, the industry must balance safety with functionality, ensuring that consumer health remains a top priority.