Ingredient
Why Flour is Bad for You
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Flour is a powder made by grinding grains, most commonly wheat. While traditionally a simple ingredient, much of the flour found in grocery stores today is highly refined, meaning the bran and germ have been removed, and it's often bleached and then 'enriched' with synthetic vitamins and minerals.
Why it’s in your food
The manufacturer’s reason.
Manufacturers use various types of flour as a primary structural ingredient and thickener in countless food products, including bread, pasta, cakes, and sauces. Its gluten content provides elasticity and shape to baked goods.
Community scan data
How it shows up in the wild.
Found in 2 productswe’ve analyzed.
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Rated Clean
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Caution
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Where to find it
Products containing Flour.
2 products in our database.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What does 'enriched' flour mean?▾
'Enriched' flour has specific B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) and iron added back into it after they were removed during the refining process. This is done to restore some nutrients lost and to address public health concerns.
Is all flour the same?▾
No, there are many types of flour, differing by the grain used (like wheat, rye, or rice) and how it's processed (whole grain, refined, bleached, or unbleached). Each type has unique baking properties and nutritional profiles.
Why would Nonna not recognize modern flour?▾
While Nonna certainly used flour, the highly refined, bleached, and synthetically enriched versions common today are quite different from the stone-ground, often less-processed flours she would have used directly from the mill in the 1950s. Her flour was a simpler product of nature.
Check your own pantry.
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