How should flour be stored?
Flour is a delicate product that can easily deteriorate or be contaminated.
Vediamo quali sono i metodi migliori per la conservazione della farina e quali accorgimenti è bene prendere.
The presence of flour moths is not linked to the low quality of the flour, but rather to the conditions in which it is stored. Heat or excess humidity can play a role.
An infestation could be more likely in quality flours obtained from untreated, organic grains, which contain the germ, rather than in industrial flours obtained from treated grains.
Conservazione della farina: qual è il metodo migliore?
The best method for storing flour is placing it in a hermetically sealed container, as this protects against humidity and draughts. This also helps avoid infesting other products in the pantry where it is stored.
The best method of storage is glass jars.
Flour is extremely delicate, so storing it incorrectly could cause the loss of all its nutritional properties. This is because it contains highly perishable substances that can be altered by external factors, such as light, oxygen and humidity.
Quale è la migliore temperatura per la conservazione della farina?
Abbiamo visto come luce, ossigeno ed umidità influenzino il corretto procedimento di conservazione della farina. This is precisely why we recommend storing flour in a place that is neither too cold or too hot, away from sources of humidity and light, at a temperature ideally below 25⁰C and never lower than 10⁰C.
Flour does not keep well at high temperatures and in excessively dry environments, as this causes a loss of humidity, which makes it unusable.
It should also not be stored in excessively humid environments or, worse still, cold and freezing ones, as this could cause mould or unpleasant lumps to form.
Particularly in the warm summer months, it is advisable to buy small quantities of flour and use it as soon as possible.
What does shelf life mean?
The English term “shelf life” has a specific meaning.
It means the period between production and sale, within which a food product of any kind may remain on sale in optimum conditions in terms of quality and safety.
It is not just applied to food products, but also to beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, medical devices, explosives, tyres, batteries and many other perishable items.
However, shelf life should not be confused with “use-by date”, as it does not indicate the date within which the product should preferably be consumed, but the maximum time within which it must be sold and the period during which the food is defined as risk-free for the consumer’s health.
Le temperature calde riducono la shelf-life?
Temperature is an extremely important factor for shelf life. Shelf life can be shortened by temperature, in terms of chemical processes and proliferation of micro-organisms.
An increase in temperature will shorten the shelf life of any product.
Packaging can be a solution to increase shelf life. The packaging must guarantee low humidity and oxygen transmission, as humidity and oxidation are the two main causes of food perishing.
This is precisely why we have chosen plastic bags and a modified atmosphere packaging process.
The oxygen is removed from the packet during packaging and nitrogen is injected to prolong the product storage period from six to eighteen months.
Da che viene influenzato lo shelf-life?
The shelf life depends mainly on the product degradation processes and changes significantly case by case.
It is mostly influenced by a variety of factors, such as:
- exposure to light, heat, humidity and oxygen
- mechanical stress
- microbiological contamination (bacteria, mould, etc.)
- contamination with parasites (such as mites)
- contamination by animals (such as mice, cockroaches, etc.)
Antioxidants or preservatives can be added to certain food products to extend their storage period, but we prefer not to add anything, in order to maintain the quality and healthiness of our products.
