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Atmospheric Cold Plasma Offers Flour Treatment Benefits

Researchers use atmospheric cold plasma as an alternative to chlorination in wheat treatment.
Texas A&M University researchers Janie McClurkin Moore (left) and Shikhadri Mahanta
Danielle Beurteaux

Food Technology Magazine

Wheat flour is chlorinated to give it the functionality that is prized for products like high-ratio cakes that are light, fluffy yet firm, and good at absorbing sugar. Chlorination also whitens flour.

Chlorination is a process that uses chlorine gas, but there are problems with this method. It’s a health hazard for workers who are exposed to it, and it’s not clean label. Chlorination is banned in the European Union and several other countries, including China.

“There are two primary reasons that are driving the move away from chlorination,” says Jayne Bock, technical director at the Wheat Marketing Center in …

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Hero Image: Photo courtesy of Texas A&M University

Authors

  • Danielle Beurteaux Writer

    Danielle Beurteaux is a journalist who writes about science, technology, and food.

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