Flour treatment agents (also called improving agents) are food additives added to flour in order to improve its properties.
Flour bleaching agents are added to flour in order to make it appear whiter (freshly milled flour is yellowish) and to oxidize the surfaces of the flour grains and help with developing of gluten.
Maturing agents are added to flour in order to help with gluten development. They may or may not also act as bleaching agents. Common maturing agents are
- various flour bleaching agents
- azodicarbonamide (E927)
- carbamide (E927b)
- potassium bromate (E924, the component which gives bromated flour its name, used mainly in the midwest and east of the US, acts as a bleaching agent)
- ascorbic acid (used mainly in the western US, helps form gluten)
- phosphates
- malted barley
Processing agents help with various aspects of handling the dough during baking.
- L-cysteine (E920, E921; quantities in the tens of ppm range help soften the dough and thus reduce processing time)
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