NO “PLASTIC” in ELEPHANT ATTA

Elephant Atta and Westmill Foods are aware of films circulating the internet and social media that suggest that Atta flour could contain plastic.

>Food safety and the enjoyment of customers who love our products is our absolute priority and we take any customer concerns very seriously. With that in mind, we’re 100% confident that what is shown in these videos is, in fact, gluten.

Flour is made from wheat which is a natural product made up of starch, protein and moisture. If you rinse a flour dough ball in water the starch will wash away leaving behind the protein, in the form of a gluten ball that is elastic and extensible.  Gluten is, in fact, the protein found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It is what makes dough easy to knead, stretch, roll, flatten and shape. When burnt, gluten is flammable and produces an acrid smell that could be mistaken for plastic.

Following these claims, The Food Standards Agency in the UK have also issued the following statement on Twitter:

“To date there is no evidence or information to suggest that ‘plastic flour’ is on sale in the UK. Video footage on social media does not show plastic present within the product. The effect observed is a result of the naturally occurring protein (gluten) present in the flour.”

You can read more here http://www.nabim.org.uk/sites/0038/uploads/content/nabim-publications/nabim-wheat-and-flour-testing.pdf?1498836360

If you’d like more information, please contact Westmill’s Customer Service team on: +44(0)208 345 8102 or: enquiries@westmill.co.uk