E925 – Chlorine
Flour treatment agentDescription
Yellowish-green gas with a pungent odor; strong oxidizing agent used as a flour treatment agent to bleach and mature flour
Notes
Chlorine is a yellowish-green gas that occurs naturally as part of salt compounds, but for food use, it's produced industrially through the electrolysis of salt water (brine). This process separates chlorine gas from sodium, creating pure chlorine that can be carefully controlled and measured for food applications. The gas is highly reactive and must be handled with specialized equipment in food processing facilities. As a flour treatment agent, chlorine serves a dual purpose: it bleaches flour by breaking down natural yellow pigments, creating the bright white color consumers expect, and it also matures the flour by modifying gluten proteins to improve baking performance. This treatment allows freshly milled flour to perform like naturally aged flour, resulting in better cake texture and volume. You'll find chlorine-treated flour in many commercial baked goods, particularly cakes, cookies, and pastries. While chlorine itself is a naturally occurring element, its use in food processing involves synthetic production and application methods. It's suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets as no animal products are involved. Chlorine treatment is still widely used and considered safe by food safety authorities in many countries, including the United States, though some countries prefer alternative flour treatment methods. The chlorine completely evaporates during processing, leaving no residue in the final flour product.