A filhó (or filhós in plural) is a traditional pastry in Portugal and Northeastern Brazil .
60-518: Filhós are usually made by forming balls from a mixture of flour and eggs . When the dough has risen, the balls are deep-fried and sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon . This is a traditional Christmas bake in Portugal, although it is now commercialised throughout the year. Although there isn't a specific place of origin, this sweet has strong roots in the inland regions of central Northern Portugal. This dessert -related article
120-608: A staple food for many cultures. Corn flour has been important in Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times and remains a staple in the Americas. Rye flour is a constituent of bread in both Central Europe and Northern Europe . Cereal flour consists either of the endosperm , germ , and bran together (whole-grain flour) or of the endosperm alone (refined flour). Meal is either differentiable from flour as having slightly coarser particle size (degree of comminution ) or
180-471: A 14% moisture content. Thus, a US flour with 0.48% ash would approximate a French Type 55. Other measurable properties of flour as used in baking can be determined using a variety of specialized instruments, such as the farinograph . Flour dust suspended in air is explosive —as is any mixture of a finely powdered flammable substance with air ( see dust explosion ). Some devastating explosions have occurred at flour mills, including an explosion in 1878 at
240-650: A bit more strength than cakes, but still produce flaky crusts rather than hard or crispy ones. All-purpose, or "AP flour", or plain flour is medium in gluten protein content at 9.5–11.5% (10–12% from second source ) protein content. It has adequate protein content for many bread and pizza bases, though bread flour and special 00 grade Italian flour are often preferred for these purposes, respectively, especially by artisan bakers. Some biscuits are also prepared using this type of flour. "Plain" refers not only to AP flour's middling gluten content but also to its lack of any added leavening agent (as in self-rising flour). Bread flour
300-482: A cost-saving measure, the US military routinely uses a wide range of SLEP tested products past their official shelf life if drugs have been stored properly. Preservatives and antioxidants may be incorporated into some food and drug products to extend their shelf life. Some companies use induction sealing and vacuum /oxygen-barrier pouches to assist in the extension of the shelf life of their products where oxygen causes
360-439: A drug. Most medications continue to be effective and safe for a time after the expiration date. A rare exception is a case of renal tubular acidosis purportedly caused by expired tetracycline . A study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration covered over 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter. The study showed that about 90% of them were safe and effective as long as 15 years past their expiration dates. Joel Davis,
420-442: A former FDA expiration-date compliance chief, said that with a handful of exceptions - notably nitroglycerin, insulin and some liquid antibiotics - most expired drugs are probably effective. Shelf life is not significantly studied during drug development , and drug manufacturers have economic and liability incentives to specify shorter shelf lives so that consumers are encouraged to discard and repurchase products. One major exception
480-403: A high proportion of starches , which are a subset of complex carbohydrates also known as polysaccharides . The kinds of flour used in cooking include all-purpose flour (known as plain outside North America), self-rising flour, and cake flour (including bleached flour). The higher the protein content the harder and stronger the flour, and the more it will produce crispy or chewy breads. The lower
540-416: A low oxygen transmission rate and the use of oxygen absorbers can help extend the shelf life. Produce and other products with respiration often require packaging with controlled barrier properties. The use of a modified atmosphere in the package can extend the shelf life for some products. The concept of shelf life applies to other products besides food and drugs. Gasoline has a shelf life, although it
600-592: A memorandum that scientific data could not be shared with the public, public health departments, other government agencies, and drug manufacturers. State and local programs are not permitted to participate. The failure to share data has caused foreign governments to refuse donations of expired medications. One exception occurred during the 2010 Swine Flu Epidemic when the FDA authorized expired Tamiflu based on SLEP Data. The SLEP discovered that drugs such as Cipro remained effective nine years after their shelf life, and, as
660-416: A relatively slow distribution system collided with natural shelf life . The reason for the limited shelf life is the fatty acids of the germ , which react from the moment they are exposed to oxygen. This occurs when grain is milled; the fatty acids oxidize and flour starts to become rancid . Depending on climate and grain quality, this process takes six to nine months. In the late 19th century, this process
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#1732794228206720-451: A staple in the Americas. Rye flour is a constituent of bread in central and northern Europe. Archaeological evidence for making flour ( wheat seeds crushed between simple millstones ) dates to at least 6000 BC. In 2018, archaeologists reported finding evidence of bread making at Shubayqa 1, a Natufian hunter-gatherer site more than 14,000 years old in northwest Jordan. The Romans were the first to grind seeds on cone mills . In 1786, at
780-507: A variant of the word flower , and both words derive from the Old French fleur or flour , which had the literal meaning "blossom", and a figurative meaning "the finest". The phrase fleur de farine meant "the finest part of the flour", since flour resulted from the elimination of coarse and unwanted matter from the grain during milling. Maize or corn flour has been important in Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times and remains
840-401: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about Portuguese cuisine is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains , roots , beans , nuts , or seeds . Flours are used to make many different foods . Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour , is the main ingredient of bread , which is
900-411: Is a less ambiguous term for what is often referred to as an "expiration date". Most food is still edible after the expiration date. A product that has passed its shelf life might still be safe, but quality is no longer guaranteed. In most food stores, waste is minimized by using stock rotation , which involves moving products with the earliest sell by date from the warehouse to the sales area, and then to
960-726: Is a principal ingredient used to thicken many puddings or desserts, and is the main ingredient in packaged custard. Shelf life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a supermarket shelf (unfit for sale, but not yet unfit for use). It applies to cosmetics , foods and beverages , medical devices , medicines , explosives , pharmaceutical drugs , chemicals , tyres , batteries , and many other perishable items. In some regions, an advisory best before , mandatory use by or freshness date
1020-400: Is a theoretically possible protein content ). This flour may be used where a recipe adds ingredients that require the dough to be extra strong to hold together in their presence, or when strength is needed for constructions of bread (e.g., some centerpiece displays). Gluten flour is refined gluten protein, or a theoretical 100% protein (though practical refining never achieves a full 100%). It
1080-422: Is flour where the germ is first separated from the endosperm and bran, then processed with steam, dry heat or microwave and blended into flour again. Milling of flour is accomplished by grinding grain between stones or steel wheels. Today, "stone-ground" usually means that the grain has been ground in a mill in which a revolving stone wheel turns over a stationary stone wheel, vertically or horizontally with
1140-421: Is not an accurate indicator of how long the food can safely be stored. For example, pasteurized milk can remain fresh for five days after its sell-by date if it is refrigerated properly. However, improper storage of milk may result in bacterial contamination or spoilage before the expiration date. The expiration date of pharmaceuticals specifies the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of
1200-433: Is not normally necessary to display a sell-by date. Exceeding this time-frame will introduce harmful varnishes , etc. into equipment designed to operate with these products, i.e. a gasoline lawn mower that has not been properly winterized could incur damage that will prevent use in the spring, and require expensive servicing to the carburetor. Some glues and adhesives also have a limited storage life, and will stop working in
1260-437: Is often mathematically modelled around a parameter (concentration of a chemical compound, a microbiological index, or moisture content). For some foods, health issues are important in determining shelf life. Bacterial contaminants are ubiquitous, and foods left unused too long will often be contaminated by substantial amounts of bacterial colonies and become dangerous to eat, leading to food poisoning . However, shelf life alone
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#17327942282061320-416: Is often referred to as "white flour". Bleached flour is artificially aged using a "bleaching" agent, a "maturing" agent, or both. A bleaching agent affects the carotenoids responsible for the natural colour of the flour; a "maturing" agent also affects gluten development. A maturing agent may either strengthen or weaken gluten development. The four most common additives used as bleaching/maturing agents in
1380-438: Is often specified in conjunction with a specific product, package, and distribution system. For example, an MRE field ration is designed to have a shelf life of three years at 80 °F (27 °C) and six months at 100 °F (38 °C). Nearly all chemical reactions can occur at normal temperatures (although different reactions proceed at different rates). However most reactions are accelerated by high temperatures, and
1440-424: Is required on packaged perishable foods. The concept of expiration date is related but legally distinct in some jurisdictions. Shelf life is the recommended maximum time for which products or fresh (harvested) produce can be stored, during which the defined quality of a specified proportion of the goods remains acceptable under expected (or specified) conditions of distribution, storage and display. According to
1500-405: Is synonymous with flour; the word is used both ways. For example, the word cornmeal often connotes a grittier texture whereas corn flour connotes fine powder, although there is no codified dividing line. The CDC has cautioned not to eat raw flour doughs or batters. Raw flour can contain bacteria like E. coli and needs to be cooked like other foods. The English word flour is originally
1560-483: Is the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), which commissioned a major study of drug efficacy from the FDA starting in the mid-1980s. One criticism is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to issue guidelines based on SLEP research for normal marketing of pharmaceuticals even though the FDA performed the study. The SLEP and FDA signed
1620-457: Is treated either with benzoyl peroxide or chlorine gas, but no way exists to tell which process has been used when buying the flour at the grocery store. The old method of procuring white or "bleached" flour did not entail the use of chemical agents at all. Rather, the wheat kernels were moistened with water long enough for the outer kernels of the wheat which contained the bran to soften and, eventually, fall off while grinding. In some places,
1680-555: Is typically made from hard red winter wheat planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. Hard wheat is high in gluten, a protein that makes dough stretchy. Hard wheat is 11.5–13.5% (12–14% from second source ) protein. The increased protein binds to the flour to entrap carbon dioxide released by the yeast fermentation process, resulting in a better rise and chewier texture. Hard is a general term for flours with high gluten protein content, commonly refers to extra strong flour, with 13.5–16% (or 14–15% from some sources) protein (16%
1740-474: Is used to strengthen flour as needed. For example, adding approximately one teaspoon per cup of AP flour gives the resulting mix the protein content of bread flour. It is commonly added to whole grain flour recipes to overcome the tendency of greater fiber content to interfere with gluten development, needed to give the bread better rising (gas holding) qualities and chew. Unbleached flour is simply flour that has not undergone bleaching and therefore does not have
1800-538: Is why old rubber bands and other rubber products soften and get crispy, and lose their elasticity as they age. The often quoted rule of thumb is that chemical reactions double their rate for each temperature increase of 10 °C (18 °F) because activation energy barriers are more easily surmounted at higher temperatures. However, as with many rules of thumb, there are many caveats and exceptions. The rule works best for reactions with activation energy values around 50 kJ/mole; many of these are important at
1860-407: Is why shelf life is generally extended by temperature control: ( refrigeration , insulated shipping containers , controlled cold chain , etc.) and why some medicines and foods must be refrigerated. Since such storing of such goods is temporal in nature and shelf life is dependent on the temperature controlled environment, they are also referred to as cargo even when in special storage to emphasize
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1920-533: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), "canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures, or temperatures above 90 °F (32.2 °C)". If the cans look okay, they are safe to use. Discard cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. High-acid canned foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years. "Sell by date"
1980-588: The Washburn "A" Mill in Minneapolis that killed 22 people. The CDC has cautioned not to eat raw flour doughs or batters. Raw flour can contain bacteria like E. coli and needs to be cooked like other foods. Bread , pasta , crackers , many cakes , and many other foods are made using flour. Wheat flour is also used to make a roux as a base for thickening gravy and sauces. It can also be used as an ingredient in papier-mâché glue . Cornstarch
2040-493: The US are: Some other chemicals used as flour treatment agents to modify color and baking properties include: Common preservatives in commercial flour include: All bleaching and maturing agents (with the possible exception of ascorbic acid) have been banned in the United Kingdom. Bromination of flour in the US has fallen out of favor, and while it is not yet actually banned anywhere, few retail flours available to
2100-427: The ash mass is only rarely given on the label by flour manufacturers. However, the legally required standard nutrition label specifies the protein content of the flour, which is also a way for comparing the extraction rates of different available flour types. In general, as the extraction rate of the flour increases, so do both the protein and the ash content. However, as the extraction rate approaches 100% (whole meal),
2160-430: The barrier. Active packaging , on the other hand, employs the use of substances that scavenge, capture, or otherwise render harmless deleterious substances. When moisture content is a mechanism for product degradation, packaging with a low moisture vapor transmission rate and the use of desiccants help keep the moisture in the package within acceptable limits. When oxidation is the primary concern, packaging with
2220-617: The beginning of the Industrial Era , the first steam-powered flour mill, Albion Mills, Southwark , was completed in London . In the 1930s, some flour began to be enriched with iron, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin. In the 1940s, mills started to enrich flour and folic acid was added to the list in the 1990s. An important problem of the Industrial Revolution was the preservation of flour. Transportation distances and
2280-432: The bleaching process, nutrients are lost. Some of these nutrients may be replaced during refining – the result is known as enriched flour. Cake flour is the lowest in gluten protein content, with 6–7% (5–8% from second source ) protein to produce minimal binding so the cake "crumbles" easily. Pastry flour has the second-lowest gluten protein content, with 7.5–9.5% (8–9% from second source ) protein to hold together with
2340-424: The cell dies. On the other hand, 'elevated' temperatures short of these result in increased growth and reproduction; if the organism is harmful, perhaps to dangerous levels. Just as temperature increases speed up reactions, temperature decreases reduce them. Therefore, to make explosives stable for longer periods, or to keep rubber bands springy, or to force bacteria to slow down their growth, they can be cooled. That
2400-502: The color of "white" flour. An example is graham flour , whose namesake, Sylvester Graham , was against using bleaching agents, which he considered unhealthy. In English-speaking countries, self-raising (or self-rising) flour is commercially available with chemical leavening agents already in the mix. In America, it is also likely to be pre-salted; in Britain this is not the case. The added ingredients are evenly distributed throughout
2460-568: The combined wholesale (including manufacture's) and retail storage systems and still be suitable for issue or use by the end user. Shelf-life is not to be confused with service-life (defined as, A general term used to quantify the average or standard life expectancy of an item or equipment while in use. When a shelf-life item is unpacked and introduced to mission requirements, installed into intended application, or merely left in storage, placed in pre-expended bins, or held as bench stock , shelf-life management stops and service life begins.) Shelf life
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2520-456: The degradation of foods and pharmaceuticals is no exception. The same applies to the breakdown of many chemical explosives into more unstable compounds. Nitroglycerine is notorious. Old explosives are thus more dangerous (i.e. liable to be triggered to explode by very small disturbances, even trivial jiggling) than more recently manufactured explosives. Rubber products also degrade as sulphur bonds induced during vulcanization revert; this
2580-403: The different available flour varieties are labeled according to the ash mass that remains after a sample is incinerated in a laboratory oven (typically at 550 °C (1,022 °F) or 900 °C (1,650 °F), see international standards ISO 2171 and ICC 104/1 ). This is an easily verified indicator for the fraction of the whole grain remains in the flour, because the mineral content of
2640-449: The flour, which aids a consistent rise in baked goods. This flour is generally used for preparing sponge cakes, scones, muffins, etc. It was invented by Henry Jones and patented in 1845. If a recipe calls for self-raising flour, and this is not available, the following substitution is possible: Wheat is the grain most commonly used to make flour. Certain varieties may be referred to as "clean" or "white". Flours contain differing levels of
2700-572: The front of the shelf, so that most shoppers will pick them up first and thus they are likely to be sold before the end of their shelf life. Some stores can be fined for selling out of date products; most if not all would have to mark such products down as wasted , resulting in a financial loss. Shelf life depends on the degradation mechanism of the specific product. Most can be influenced by several factors: exposure to light , heat , moisture, transmission of gases , mechanical stresses , and contamination by things such as micro-organisms. Product quality
2760-481: The grain in between. Roller mills soon replaced stone grist mills as the production of flour has historically driven technological development, as attempts to make gristmills more productive and less labor-intensive led to the watermill and windmill . These terms are now applied more broadly to uses of water and wind power for purposes other than milling. More recently, the Unifine mill , an impact-type mill,
2820-419: The home baker are bromated anymore. Many varieties of flour packaged specifically for commercial bakeries are still bromated. Retail bleached flour marketed to the home baker is now treated mostly with either peroxidation or chlorine gas. Current information from Pillsbury is that their varieties of bleached flour are treated both with benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas. Gold Medal states that their bleached flour
2880-501: The inherent time-temperature sensitivity matrix. Temperature data loggers and time temperature indicators can record the temperature history of a shipment to help estimate their remaining shelf life. According to the USDA , "foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely". Passive barrier packaging can often help control or extend shelf life by blocking the transmission of deleterious substances, like moisture or oxygen, across
2940-399: The leaves of Syrian rue ( Peganum harmala ) were spread in stratified layers between the layers of grain, and left in such a state for several days, until the fumes emitted from the astringent leaves of the plant caused the outer kernels of the wheat to break down and dissolve, leaving a clean and white flour after grinding. During the process of making flour, specifically as a result of
3000-462: The loss. The DoD Shelf-Life Program defines shelf-life as The total period of time beginning with the date of manufacture, date of cure (for elastomeric and rubber products only), date of assembly, or date of pack (subsistence only), and terminated by the date by which an item must be used (expiration date) or subjected to inspection, test, restoration, or disposal action; or after inspection/laboratory test/restorative action that an item may remain in
3060-470: The lowest ash residue in the table. The closest is French Type 45. There is no official Chinese name corresponding to the highest ash residue in the table. Usually such products are imported from Japan and the Japanese name zenryufun (全粒粉) is used, or it is called quánmài miànfěn (全麥麵粉). It is possible to determine ash content from some US manufacturers. However, US measurements are based on wheat with
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#17327942282063120-681: The protein gluten . "Strong flour" or "hard flour" has a higher gluten content than "weak" or "soft" flour. "Brown" and wholemeal flours may be made of hard or soft wheat. When flours do not contain gluten, they are suitable for people with gluten-related disorders , such as coeliac disease , non-celiac gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy sufferers, among others. Contamination with gluten-containing cereals can occur during grain harvesting, transporting, milling, storing, processing, handling and/or cooking. Flour also can be made from soybeans , arrowroot , taro , cattails , manioc , quinoa , and other non-cereal foodstuffs. In some markets,
3180-408: The protein content drops slightly, while the ash content continues to rise. The following table shows some typical examples of how protein and ash content relate to each other in wheat flour: This table is only a rough guideline for converting bread recipes. Since flour types are not standardized in many countries, the numbers may differ between manufacturers. There is no French type corresponding to
3240-429: The protein the softer the flour, which is better for cakes, cookies, and pie crusts. Cereal flour consists either of the endosperm , germ , and bran together (whole-grain flour) or of the endosperm alone (refined flour). "Bleached flour" is "refined" flour with a chemical whitening (bleaching) agent added. "Refined" flour has had the germ and bran, containing much of the nutritional fibre and vitamins, removed and
3300-474: The rule of thumb is still mostly applicable. In the case of bacteria and fungi , the reactions needed to feed and reproduce speed up at higher temperatures, up to the point that the proteins and other compounds in their cells themselves begin to break down, or denature , so quickly that they cannot be replaced. This is why high temperatures kill bacteria and other micro-organisms: 'tissue' breakdown reactions reach such rates that they cannot be compensated for and
3360-476: The rule was precisely accurate the required temperature increase would be about 15.8 °C (28.4 °F)), and in any case the rule is only a rough approximation and cannot always be relied on. Chemists often use the more comprehensive Arrhenius equation for better estimations. The same is true, up to a point, of the chemical reactions of living things. They are usually catalyzed by enzymes which change reaction rates, but with no variation in catalytic action,
3420-487: The starchy endosperm is much lower than that of the outer parts of the grain. Flour made from all parts of the grain ( extraction rate : 100%) leaves about 2 grams (0.071 oz) ash or more per 100 grams (3.5 oz) dry flour. Plain white flour with an extraction rate of 50–60% leaves about 0.4 grams (0.014 oz). In the United States and the United Kingdom, no numbered standardized flour types are defined, and
3480-420: The usual temperatures we encounter. It is often applied in shelf life estimation, sometimes wrongly. There is a widespread impression, for instance in industry, that "triple time" can be simulated in practice by increasing the temperature by 15 °C (27 °F), e.g., storing a product for one month at 35 °C (95 °F) simulates three months at 20 °C (68 °F). This is mathematically incorrect (if
3540-399: Was developed in the mid-20th century. Modern farm equipment allows livestock farmers to do some or all of their own milling when it comes time to convert their own grain crops to coarse meal for livestock feed . This capability is economically important because the profit margins are often thin enough in commercial farming that saving expenses is vital to staying in business. Flour contains
3600-435: Was too short for an industrial production and distribution cycle. As vitamins , micronutrients and amino acids were completely or relatively unknown in the late 19th century, removing the germ was an effective solution. Without the germ, flour cannot become rancid. Degermed flour became standard. Degermation started in densely populated areas and took approximately one generation to reach the countryside. Heat-processed flour
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