The Dangers of Raw Flour

The dangers of raw flour have become more known over the years. What was once considered common practice of licking the beaters or the mixing bowl is now frowned upon, but for very serious reasons. Flour is a staple ingredient in so many things we use or make in our day to day worlds. Breads, pasta, pastries, cake, the list goes on and on. There is a high likelihood that you have consumed raw flour in your life, maybe not even being aware that you did so. Most people were well aware that consuming raw eggs was a bad idea, but we now know more about the consumption of raw flour.

So What Do You Mean Flour is Raw?

Even though your standard all-purpose flour goes through an in-depth processing method before hitting supermarket shelves, it’s still uncooked wheat. And without heat exposure, there’s potential for harmful bacteria to linger in your bag of flour. The two main concerns? Salmonella and E. coli.

In mild to moderate infections, Salmonella and E. coli can cause upset stomachs, vomiting, diarrhea, and fevers. But if you have a weakened immune system or preexisting conditions, there’s a chance that a raw flour-induced food borne illness can be much more serious. Salmonella, in particular, is the top microorganism that causes hospitalizations and deaths.

“Salmonella can cause salmonellosis and typhoid fever, which are life-threatening illnesses,” says Megan Meyer, PhD, science communication consultant. “Salmonella cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 42 deaths in the U.S. each year.”

Some of these infections can be attributed to raw flour, according to the FDA. The agency reports that there have been 168 known illnesses and 20 hospitalizations since 2009 that are directly linked to consuming products with uncooked flour. But there are likely several other cases that haven’t been reported. And if you’re one of the many people who enjoy eating raw cookie dough or cake batter, the inclusion of raw flour and raw eggs double your odds of infection.

“According to a 2019 FDA survey, more than one third of Americans report consuming raw flour in the past year, with many reporting that uncooked flour is not likely to contain microorganisms that cause illness,” Meyer says.

How to Avoid Raw Flour Sickness

With a large portion of the population unaware about the dangers that lurk inside your bag of flour, the FDA has launched a dedicated food safety campaign, titled “Never Devour Raw Flour!”

Officials recommend keeping raw flour away from kids—especially in crafts like homemade play dough. They also advise following instructions for baking mixes and recipes to make sure that your flour is cooked thoroughly before you eat it. And, for goodness sakes, don’t eat raw cookie dough!

If you still have a hankering for cookie dough and want to avoid risking serious tummy troubles, you’re in luck. We have our very own recipe for edible cookie dough that tastes just as delicious as the real thing. The secret? The recipe calls for pre-cooking your flour in the microwave to kill the bacteria before adding it to the bowl and skipping raw eggs entirely. We stir in chocolate chips, but you can also experiment with more fun mix-ins like nuts and sprinkles.

Does Flour Expire?

How long does flour last?

In short, longer than you’d think. According to Snyder, questions of food expiration come down to two factors: safety and quality—and safety isn’t much of a concern here. Flour is a low-moisture food, meaning it doesn’t contain enough water to support microbial growth. As such, it’s considered extremely shelf stable and unlikely to become less safe to eat over time. And although flour may contain pathogens like E. coli, which can survive for long periods in storage, the risk in ingesting the flour won’t increase—but it’s certainly why we recommend heating flour before consuming it, like in our recipe for ready-to-eat cookie dough.

Quality is less clear-cut, and Snyder typically avoids giving specific time estimations. But you can expect most refined white flours (all-purpose, bread flour, 00 flour, cake flour, etc.) to keep for a year or more if stored properly (i.e., kept dry in an airtight container in a cool, dark place). “I definitely have flour in my pantry that’s over a year old,” Snyder says, “and it’s fine.”

Just like a bottle of olive oil can turn rancid in your pantry, the fats in some flours can spoil. The homogenous, highly refined all-purpose flour commonly found in grocery stores contains less fat than some gluten-free flours, like buckwheat flour, coconut flour, and nut flours, like almond flour. Because of their higher fat content, these flours may be shorter-lived—in Jullapat’s experience, higher-fat flours can turn less desirable about two times faster than all-purpose flour.

For whole wheat flour and other whole grain flours, like rye and spelt, the bran and germ (the parts of the kernel removed during white flour’s refinement process) may cause faster spoilage. These flours contain fats susceptible to rancidity which can contribute to shorter shelf life.

Self-rising flour, which contains baking powder, is a special case. Snyder advises that while it won’t “go bad” by standard definitions, the leavening agent could become less potent over time.

No matter what variety you’re concerned about, Snyder assuages that, by and large, the shelf life of flour is extensive. She also says that it’s not really food safety you need be concerned about but quality deterioration, which she posits is “somewhat subjective.”

When To Throw Out Flour

Here’s what to look for: If your flour smells unpleasant, this could be a sign that the fat present in the flour has oxidized. This rancid flour smell could be musty, sour, or even just slightly off (some Epi staffers liken the aroma to wet cardboard or Play-Doh). And once you’ve experienced noxious old flour, you’ll know: “If you’ve smelled it before,” Jullapat says, “you’ll be like, ‘oh, yeah, this is gone.’”

Another enemy of flour freshness is moisture, which may be indicated by clumping or an overall “weird texture,” as Jullapat puts it. There could be mold in there—you may even see it. If that’s the case, toss the whole thing; don’t try scooping out the top to save the rest.

Yellowing can be another sign your flour is bad. And let’s not forget the most obvious indicator: Bugs. Weevils are common flour invaders, so keep an eye out and ditch the flour if you notice a pest infestation. Freeze the container for at least three days before you throw out the flour to kill any critters. That way, they won’t make their way out of the trash can (or compost bin) and back into your kitchen.

For more food safety tips and tricks be sure to follow Make Food Safe!

By: Samantha Cooper