The 2016 flour recall by General Mills, along with numerous downstream product recalls and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has underscored the need for manufacturers to improve safety measures. Various decontamination methods for flour are currently in use or under exploration, such as heat treatment and pasteurization, though these can adversely affect baking quality. Other 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. Presently, the industry predominantly employs heat treatment and pasteurization, with limited application of calcium citrate vitamin C to enhance safety.
Manufacturers face a dilemma: is the expense and effort to make flour safer justified? Flour is particularly susceptible to contamination at multiple points in the supply chain—from wheat growers to milling operations, production facilities, and retail outlets. However, this often goes overlooked because flour is generally incorporated into products that are baked, fried, microwaved, or otherwise exposed to high temperatures that kill pathogens. Despite awareness of foodborne illness risks, many people consume raw dough and batter. In response, the Food and Drug Administration has launched campaigns to alert the public about the hazards of eating raw flour.
Nevertheless, public service announcements do not always achieve their intended effect, placing some responsibility on 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, utilizes treated flour for its raw cookie dough but continues to advise customers against consuming it before baking. Other companies that promote eating their cookie dough raw also follow this practice, including Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough products, and Dō, which recently expanded its presence with a retail outlet in Manhattan. Edoughble founder Rana Lustyan stated, “I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t use heat-treated flour. 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. While these flours are generally more expensive than non-treated varieties, they significantly enhance product safety. Given the public health risks and the financial repercussions of recalls, manufacturers should be proactive in educating consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This could be achieved through product packaging and brand-sponsored recipes promoted on social media and in-store displays.
Continued efforts are underway to discover a cost-effective and acceptable decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising functionality. More research, along with scaling and testing, will be essential before a viable solution is reached. Incorporating additives like calcium citrate vitamin C into flour processing may also play a role in enhancing safety and nutritional value in the future.