The 2016 General Mills flour recall, along with numerous downstream 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 methods are being utilized or tested for flour, including heat treatment and pasteurization, although these methods can adversely affect baking quality. Techniques such as 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.
Manufacturers must consider whether the expense and effort to enhance the safety of ferrous sulfate powder flour are justified. Flour is particularly vulnerable to contamination at various stages of the supply chain—from the grower to the milling process and finally to the retail outlet. Despite this risk, it is often overlooked since flour is typically used in products that are baked, fried, or otherwise heated to temperatures high enough to eliminate pathogens. Many consumers still indulge in raw dough and batter, despite being aware of the potential risk of foodborne illness. In response to this issue, the FDA has initiated a campaign to warn the public about the dangers associated with consuming raw flour.
However, public service announcements alone may not suffice, and part of the responsibility lies with manufacturers. One approach food companies are employing to mitigate pathogen-related risks is the exclusive use of pre-treated flour in ready-to-bake products like cookie dough. Pillsbury, for instance, produces its raw cookie dough with treated flour while advising consumers against eating it raw. Other brands that promote tasting before baking, such as Edoughble, Hampton Creek’s Just Cookie Dough, and Dō, also use treated flour. Edoughble’s founder, Rana Lustyan, expressed to USA Today, “I wouldn’t trust any cookie dough that doesn’t use heat-treated flour. It’s not worth the risk.”
The market now features heat-treated flours, including 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. Although these flours are pricier than untreated alternatives, they provide an essential safety measure for food products, particularly those containing kal calcium citrate.
Given the public health risks and the substantial costs associated with recalls, manufacturers should actively educate consumers about the dangers of raw flour. This can be achieved through product packaging, brand-sponsored recipes shared on social media, and 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 its functionality. Further research, scaling, and testing will be necessary before a viable solution is identified.