Common Treatments and Options

1. Bleaching

Bleaching is used to modify the color of flour, producing a lighter and more uniform appearance.

2. Enrichment

Enriched flour undergoes a process to restore essential nutrients—such as iron, B vitamins, and sometimes calcium—that are lost during milling. Enrichment is especially important for white flours to return them closer to their original nutritional profile. The resulting product is referred to as enriched flour.

3. Malt

Malt is produced by soaking grains in water until they begin to sprout, then halting germination through drying with hot air. This malting process develops enzymes that convert starches into sugars and break down proteins for yeast activity. High-protein malted barley is commonly used in flours designed for yeast-leavened breads and other baked goods.

4. Ash

Ash content is determined by heating a flour sample at high temperatures until all moisture and organic material is burned away, leaving only inorganic minerals. Ash content indicates the level of bran contamination in flour. Higher ash content typically results in darker finished products—whole wheat flour, for example, has a higher ash content than white flour.

5. Moisture

Moisture content is measured by heating a flour sample and calculating the percentage of weight lost. This value is an important indicator of flour quality, shelf life, and storage stability. Flour with high moisture content (above 14.5%) is more susceptible to mold, bacteria, and insect activity, while lower moisture flour is generally more stable during storage.

6. Bromate

Potassium bromate is a chemical oxidizer used as a dough conditioner. It strengthens dough, improves oven spring, and creates a finer crumb structure in baked goods.

7. Preservatives

Preservatives may be added to extend shelf life by inhibiting mold growth and maintaining product freshness.

8. Maturing Agents

Maturing agents strengthen gluten development, improving dough handling, elasticity, and baking performance.

9. Dough Enhancers

Dough enhancers improve dough consistency, fermentation tolerance, volume, and finished product quality.

10. Kosher

Certain flours are produced and certified to meet kosher dietary requirements.

11. Yushon

Yushon flour is milled from wheat grown exclusively in the United States, meeting specific domestic sourcing standards.

12. Non-GMO Certification

Non-GMO certified products are verified to be produced without genetically modified organisms.

13. Certified Organic

Certified organic flours are produced in compliance with USDA organic standards, from wheat sourcing through processing.

*Please note: Some of these products are sold exclusively through our sister company, New England Flour Corp.