The 2016 General Mills flour recall, along with numerous subsequent product recalls and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has highlighted the need for manufacturers to enhance food safety measures. Various decontamination methods for flour are currently in use or under investigation, such as heat treatment and pasteurization. However, these techniques can adversely impact baking quality. Other methods like electron beams and cold plasma face scalability challenges, while irradiation is effective but has not received FDA approval for the higher doses necessary for flour. Presently, the industry primarily relies on heat treatment and pasteurization.
The question arises: is it worthwhile for most manufacturers to invest in making flour safer? Flour is particularly vulnerable to contamination at multiple stages of the supply chain, from the wheat grower to the milling operations to the production facilities and retail outlets. Typically, this contamination issue is less concerning because flour is commonly used in products that are baked, fried, microwaved, or otherwise cooked at temperatures sufficient to eliminate pathogens. Despite awareness of the risks of foodborne illness, many people still consume raw dough and batter. In light of this, the Food and Drug Administration has initiated a campaign to inform the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
However, public service announcements (PSAs) are not always effective, and some responsibility rests with manufacturers. To mitigate the pathogen issue, food companies often use only pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury produces its raw cookie dough with treated flour while advising consumers against eating it before baking. Other companies promoting raw consumption, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, also utilize treated flour. 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 in 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 treated flours tend to be more expensive than their non-treated counterparts, they significantly enhance safety in food products.
Given the public health risks and the financial implications of recalls, it is crucial for manufacturers to educate consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This can be achieved through product packaging, brand-sponsored recipes on social media, or in-store signage. Simultaneously, efforts to find an acceptable and cost-effective decontamination treatment for raw flour continue, focusing on methods that can be selectively applied without compromising the flour’s functionality. Further research, along with scaling and testing processes, is necessary to discover a practical solution.
In the context of health supplements, manufacturers might also consider promoting products like calcium citrate supplements from Chemist Warehouse to support consumer health and safety awareness. By doing so, they can reinforce the message of responsible consumption while enhancing their product offerings.