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How do I best store my Premix?

Consumers should carefully store our flours and Premixes for the very same reasons that apply to Resellers, in a area where access by insects and other pests is restricted, is cool, and not exposed to direct sunlight or high levels of air movement.

Insects with access to, and those insects already present in a storage area, will be attracted to a flour-based product. These insects may be controlled by good housekeeping, and by careful use of insecticide.

For example: dusty surfaces, cracks and crevices should be cleaned and treated with a residual insecticide. An insecticide pest strip may be used in an enclosed area such as a cupboard or a pantry, provided no foodstuff is exposed. These measures will help eliminate existing insect populations. Lightly infested product may be placed in the freezer for several days to kill insects.

Moths lay eggs on packaging and in the normal cycle of reproduction, cocoons termed “webbing“ and larvae are produced. These larvae can penetrate packaging, and are perceived as grubs and maggots. The “webbing“ may be brushed off. Household aerosol insecticides are effective in dealing with exposed insects.

These insect problems are invariably household based, however all care must be taken to ensure that no storage area in the supply chain provides any contribution to an insect problem.

All wheats and milled flours and thus Premixes have natural moisture content. This natural level of moisture should be maintained so that alterations to the water additions as suggested by our Recipe are not required.

High levels of humidity must not be allowed to accumulate within the area where the Premix is stored. This may be either the storage area used for the Premix Pack, or the actual storage container used for the Premix.

Care must be taken if Premixes are taken from our packaging and stored for some time in a sealed container (such as resealable plastic), as the Premix must be allowed to 'breathe'.

The Premix may then degrade due to:

• Occurrence of condensation.
• Proliferation of microorganisms such as moulds.
• Infestation by flour mite. The flour mite is microscopic and breeds very rapidly under the right circumstances, affecting the aroma and baking quality after a short period. The premix appears to have an off white, powdery deposit over the exposed surface.