Crunch Topping: Bleached Wheat Flour

Bleached wheat flour is made from wheat grains that have been milled into a fine powder. It then undergoes a bleaching process, often using chemicals like chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide, to whiten the flour and change how its proteins behave. This treatment affects the flour's baking qualities.

Manufacturers use bleached wheat flour in baked goods like cakes, cookies, and pastries. The bleaching process creates a flour that absorbs more liquid and produces a softer, finer crumb and a more tender texture in the finished product. In crunch toppings, it helps create the desired crispness and structure.

Bleached wheat flour is a common food ingredient. The FDA considers the bleaching agents used in flour to be safe when used within approved limits. While some people express concerns about the chemicals used in the bleaching process, scientific reviews generally find them safe at the levels present in flour. JECFA has evaluated some flour treatment agents, but wheat flour itself is a staple food and not typically evaluated as a food additive.