The issue of flour bleaching agents has recently become a focal point of attention. On December 9th, the State Administration of Grain submitted an application to the Ministry of Health requesting the discontinuation of the flour treatment agent - benzoyl peroxide. On December 10th, Mao Qu'an, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, responded, stating that it will refer the matter to the National Food Additives Standardization Committee for discussion in accordance with relevant rules, before making a final decision on whether to ban it.
Setting aside the question of whether to ban it for the moment, flour itself is not a case of "the whiter, the better," and there is no need to deliberately pursue it.
Liu Fangcheng, a senior engineer from the Beijing Food Science Society, explained that the reason flour turns white is due to the large proportion of carbohydrates in its nutritional content. However, in such cases, the amount of trace elements like calcium, iron, and zinc in the flour is relatively reduced. "Although whiter flour may be of better quality, in terms of nutritional value, that's not the case. Flour with a darker color contains more trace elements in comparison, and therefore has higher nutritional value," he said.
The whiter the flour, the lower the protein content. Liu Fangcheng introduced that the flour on the market today is divided into high-gluten flour, medium-gluten flour, and low-gluten flour based on their protein content. The lower the gluten content, the whiter the flour, which means the lower the protein content. High-gluten flour is darker in color and is suitable for making bread; medium-gluten flour is milky-white, falling in between high and low-gluten flours, and can be used for making buns, steamed buns, and noodles; low-gluten flour is whiter, has low protein and gluten content, and is weak in elasticity, making it suitable for making cakes, loose cakes, cookies, and other Western pastries that require a fluffy and crispy texture.
The whiter the flour, the lower the mineral content. Furthermore, the fineness of flour is also a major consideration when people choose it. Liu Fangcheng said that according to this standard, flour is divided into various grades such as special first-class flour, special second-class flour, first-class flour, and second-class flour. "Generally, the higher the mineral content, the lower the grade of the flour; conversely, the less the content, the higher the grade of the flour. However, it is obvious that flour with a high mineral content is certainly higher in nutritional value, but this also causes the color of such flour to be slightly grayish." Taking rich flour and standard flour, the two most common types on the market, as an example, because the latter has higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements than the former, it is certainly more nutritious. However, in terms of grade, rich flour is special second-class flour, while standard flour is second-class flour.
Whole wheat flour has the highest nutritional value. In the past, it was less popular because of its poor mouthfeel, but in recent years, its rich nutritional value has been gradually discovered: whole wheat flour is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6, niacin, and trace elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc. Whole wheat flour has also gained favor with many people. It can be said that whole wheat flour is the most nutritious among the common types of flour on the market today. Moreover, upon closer inspection, eating whole wheat flour is not as bland as one might imagine.
Therefore, Liu Fangcheng finally reminded consumers that when buying flour, first, they should consider their own needs and choose the most suitable flour for the food they are about to make; second, they should carefully read the nutritional information on the flour packaging. Only by paying attention to both internal and external factors can one find the best flour.