The flour recall by General Mills in 2016, along with numerous related product recalls and the recent flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, has underscored the urgent need for manufacturers to improve safety measures. Several decontamination methods are currently being utilized or explored for flour, including heat treatment and pasteurization, although these methods can adversely affect baking quality. Other options, such as electron beams and cold plasma, present scalability challenges. Irradiation is effective as well, but the FDA has yet to approve the higher radiation doses necessary for flour treatment. At present, only heat treatment and pasteurization are widely employed in the industry.
Is it worth the cost and trouble for most manufacturers to enhance flour safety? Flour is particularly challenging to secure against contamination, as it can be tainted at multiple points along the supply chain—from wheat growers to milling operations, product manufacturing, and retail outlets. Typically, this concern is mitigated, since flour is often an ingredient in baked, fried, or microwaved products, which reach temperatures high enough to eliminate pathogens. Nonetheless, consumers frequently indulge in raw dough and batter, despite being aware of the risks associated with foodborne illnesses. In response to this issue, the Food and Drug Administration has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of consuming raw flour.
However, public service announcements (PSAs) do not always yield the desired results, and responsibility also lies with manufacturers. One strategy that food companies are employing to address pathogen concerns is the exclusive use of pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury produces its raw cookie dough using treated flour while continuing to advise customers against consuming it before baking. Other cookie dough brands that promote pre-baking consumption also adhere to this practice, including Edoughble, which specializes in ready-to-eat cookie dough, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, which began selling cookie dough online and opened a retail location in Manhattan this year. Edoughble’s 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 Mills’ SafeGuard, Honeyville’s TempSure All-Purpose Ready-to-Eat flour, Siemer Milling Co.’s heat-treated soft wheat flours, Bay State Milling’s SimplySafe products, among others, as reported by Food Business News. These flours tend to be more expensive than untreated varieties; however, they provide a crucial safety enhancement to products. Given the public health risks and the financial burden of recalls, manufacturers should take initiative to educate consumers about the hazards associated with raw flour. This education can be disseminated through product packaging, brand-sponsored recipes on social media, or in-store signage.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to discover an acceptable and cost-effective decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be selectively applied without compromising food functionality. More research and development, as well as scaling up and testing procedures, will be necessary before a practical solution is identified. In this context, the incorporation of calcium citrate names into the discussion of flour safety could offer additional avenues for ensuring product integrity and consumer health. Thus, the exploration of calcium citrate names as a potential additive in flour treatment processes may enhance safety measures, making it a vital component in the ongoing quest for safer food products.