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Don’t Eat Raw Flour, Dough or Batter and Wash Utensils and Hands with Hot Soap and Water |
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(Arlington, VA – December 13, 2018) It’s the most wonderful time of the year again, and the companies that provide consumers and restaurants with flour for their holiday baking needs are reminding everyone to utilize proper food safety practices this holiday season. “Food safety is a core value for grain millers across the U.S. and Canada every day of the year,” said Jim McCarthy, President & CEO of NAMA. “And when millions of families head to the kitchen to make their holiday breads, cakes, pies, cookies and all the special baked goods we love to enjoy at this time of year, we make a special effort to remind everyone about safe baking practices.” Flour is made from wheat that is grown in nature on farms and minimally processed prior to packaging. Proper handling and baking of flour, dough and batter is essential to eliminate the risk of illness from E. coli, or other pathogens, that may be present in some flour. So flour producers and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration are providing bakers, families and restaurants with important information to help keep them and their loved ones safe during the holidays. Consumers, especially those baking with children, should: • Never eat raw flour, dough or batter • Wash countertops and baking utensils thoroughly with soap and hot water before and after • Wash your hands thoroughly when you are done. NAMA has developed tips and tools families, food service companies and restaurants can use to eliminate the risk of becoming ill from E. coli, or other pathogens, in baking flour: • NAMA’s proper handling and food safety video can be viewed here. • The Home Baking Association, in collaboration with NAMA, developed Baking Food Safety 101, an education guide to safe home baking. “NAMA and its members wish everyone a happy holiday season, with special moments shared with family and friends. The holidays will be even brighter when we bake with our hearts, and our heads, resulting in delicious and safe foods that shape the traditions and memories we hold dear,” concluded McCarthy. ### NAMA is the trade association of the wheat, corn, oat, and rye milling industries. Member companies operate mills in 38 states, Canada and Puerto Rico, representing more than 90 percent of total industry production capacity. |