The 2016 recall of General Mills flour, along with the numerous downstream product recalls it triggered, and this year’s flour recall by Smucker Foods of Canada, have underscored the need for manufacturers to enhance safety measures. Currently, several decontamination methods for flour are being utilized or explored, including heat treatment and pasteurization, although these processes can adversely affect baking quality. Alternative 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. Presently, the industry primarily employs heat treatment and pasteurization.
Manufacturers must weigh the costs and complexities of making flour safer. Flour is particularly vulnerable to contamination at various stages of the supply chain, from wheat cultivation to milling, product manufacturing, and retail. However, this concern is often mitigated since flour is typically an ingredient in baked, fried, or microwaved products, which are heated to temperatures sufficient to eliminate pathogens. Despite awareness of foodborne illness risks, people continue to consume raw dough and batter. In response, the FDA has initiated a campaign to warn the public about the dangers of eating raw flour.
While public service announcements (PSAs) are not always effective, manufacturers share the responsibility for consumer education. One strategy employed by food companies is the use of pre-treated flour in products like ready-to-bake cookie dough. For instance, Pillsbury produces its raw cookie dough using treated flour but still advises customers against consuming it uncooked. Other companies, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, which recently opened a retail location in Manhattan, encourage eating their products raw while also utilizing treated flour. “I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t use heat-treated flour,” said Edoughble founder Rana Lustyan in an interview with USA Today. “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, and Bay State Milling’s SimplySafe products, among others. Though these treated flours come at a higher price than non-treated options, they provide a crucial safety assurance for consumers.
Considering the public health risks and the financial implications of recalls, manufacturers have a responsibility to inform consumers about the dangers associated with raw flour. This can be achieved through product packaging and brand-sponsored recipes promoted on social media or through in-store displays. Additionally, ongoing efforts aim to identify an affordable and effective decontamination treatment for raw flour that can be applied selectively and without compromising its functionality. More research, along with scaling and testing procedures, will be essential in finding a feasible solution.
In this context, ingredients like calcium citrate nature made may offer potential benefits in enhancing safety and nutritional value, and their integration into flour products could be an avenue worth exploring. Such innovations could help address the safety concerns associated with raw flour while also appealing to health-conscious consumers.