Ardent Mills offers flour safety reminder

As we enter the full swing of the holiday baking season, Ardent Mills, the flour-milling and ingredient company, offers a few friendly food safety reminders.

“It is important to understand the science behind food safety and why it matters,” said a news release from the company, a strong advocate for food safety.

1. Flour is a raw ingredient and should always be cooked, baked or fried before being consumed.
2. Different baked items require different at-centre temperatures. The higher the moisture content, the lower the temperature required (cheesecake would be an example). As the moisture decreases, the temperature must increase to render any bacteria in the raw ingredient harmless. Follow baking mix or recipe directions closely or look up what temperature is necessary for safe consumption.
3. Raw flour should never be consumed. Bake those cookies and don’t lick the beaters!
4. For amateur bakers, there are excellent resources at the Home Baking Association’s site (including recipes and more):. The North American Milling Association has also created a suite of educational materials about Flour Food Safety. Check out this video.

“Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so keeping everyone healthy is a priority,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. “We take food safety education seriously and hope to spread messages far and wide that safe handling is important.”