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Most of us have been told not to eat raw flour. This can be pretty difficult – who doesn’t want to taste test their freshly mixed batch of cookie dough? However, it’s important to understand the risks of eating raw flour are very real and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
If flour remains dormant in a tub or bin for a long period of time, it becomes an ideal home for E. Coli. As if this weren’t serious enough, mice and rats sometimes have access to stored flour, which could mean it’s been contaminated via their feces. And even if you manage to avoid the potential for disease, consuming raw flour may lead to other stomach issues and constipation.
The best way to keep raw flour fresh is by storing it properly. This means placing the flour in an airtight container, and not allowing it to stand open for a long period of time. This will keep the flour fresh and protect it from the possibility of rodents or bacteria getting into it.
While it’s unlikely you’ve thought of deliberately eating raw flour straight from the bin, there are other more common ways for people to accidentally consume raw flour. Here are a few tips to ensure that you don’t:
Do not eat uncooked cake batter, cookie dough, or other mixtures involving flour.
Properly follow instructions for how to cook any food items containing flour.
Chill products containing raw flour according to the label’s instructions.
Keep raw foods away from other foods so as to avoid cross-contamination.
Toss out old flour that is no longer fresh enough to cook with.
Avoid using raw flour in crafts as children are more likely to put it in their mouth.
Raw flour is never safe to consume. You could be exposing yourself to bacteria, animal droppings, or other contaminants. Make sure that foods that contain raw flour are completely cooked before eating them – it could make all the difference for your health. Learn how we heat treat flour.
