Why flour? Flour is a raw agricultural product that does not undergo any processing to prevent contamination until it is combined with other ingredients and cooked. Harmful organisms can contaminate the grain while it is in the field or at steps during flour production. The harmful bacteria are killed when food made with flour is cooked or baked.
Because flour is a low moisture food, it has long been considered as a low risk for causing illness. This changed when outbreaks of foodborne illness, caused by raw flour, were first noted in 2009 and have occurred again with the most recent outbreaks between December 2018 till late May of 2019 and again in mid-September 2019.
If you are using regular flour what steps can you take to protect yourself and your family.
- If the last time you bought flour in bulk was before December 2018, throw the remaining flour away.
- Heed the warning noted on most bags of flour and mixes containing flour. “Do not eat or play with raw flour, dough or batter. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling.”
- When you buy flour for home use and transfer it to another container, note the brand and “use by” date in case of a future recall.
- Always wash your flour container when your home supply is used up. Never add newly purchased flour to your existing supply at home.
- Don’t use cake mix as a thickener in milkshakes or smoothies.
- Don’t use raw, homemade cookie dough in ice cream. Cookie dough ice cream sold in stores contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria.
- Don’t lick bowls, rubber scrappers or wooden spoons when making doughs and batters at home.
- Regardless or whether you are using a from-scratch recipe or a packaged cake mix, pancake mix, or muffin mix, don’t sample the raw dough and batter.
- Follow label directions to refrigerate foods containing raw dough before cooking.
- Clean your hands, bowls, utensils and surfaces after using flour with warm, soapy water.
- Don’t let children play with raw dough including homemade play dough and flour dough used for crafts.
As public education increases about the possible risk from raw flour, safe food handling practices will become more routine in homes.
