Inhalable flour dust containing wheat and alpha-amylase exposures in commercial bakery work.
Evidence
HSE identifies flour dust as the second-largest cause of occupational asthma in its food and drink manufacturing guidance. It explains that sensitization can make very small subsequent exposures trigger an attack and lists flour, grain, egg, shellfish, fungal, spice, and poultry dusts among food-industry asthmagens.
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page 46 · Occupational asthma — Why occupational asthma is a health priority · 1Exposure to flour dust is the second largest cause of occupational asthma. ... Allergic occupational asthma occurs when workers become sensitised to particular dusts or aerosols that are breathed into their lungs. ... once sensitised, exposure to very small amounts can trigger an attack.
A NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation at a bakery investigated flour-dust and baking-amylase exposure after reports of work-related hand dermatitis, cough, eye irritation, aggravated pre-existing asthma, and at least one diagnosis of baker’s asthma. NIOSH measured inhalable flour and total dust and analyzed samples for alpha-amylase and wheat; the findings describe the evaluated bakery and do not imply that every bakery has the same exposure profile.
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Abstract · 1We observed potential exposure to flour dust and BAA and received reports of employees with work-related hand dermatitis, cough, eye irritation, and aggravation of pre-existing asthma. We also learned of at least one employee who was diagnosed with baker's asthma ... The inhalable flour dust samples were further analyzed for alpha-amylase and wheat.
HSE reports that bakery additives containing enzymes such as fungal alpha-amylase are potent sensitisers and says exposure should be minimized. Its testing found low-dust wheat flours reduced dust exposure during sieving by 47–86% and during tipping by 67–78% compared with normal flour.
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Low-dust flour can reduce asthma risks · 4Some bakery additives/bread improvers contain enzymes (for example fungal alpha amylase) which are potent sensitisers ... The reductions in flour dust exposures for sieving tasks were as much as 47-86% ... There was a reduction in flour dust exposures of 67-78% when tipping low dust flours compared with tipping normal flour.
HSE identifies flour, custard powder, instant coffee, sugar, dried milk, potato powder, and soup powder as examples of explosible food-industry dusts, adding a process-safety hazard distinct from their health effects.
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Dust explosion hazards · 2Examples of explosible dusts in the food industries include flour, custard powder, instant coffee, sugar, dried milk, potato powder and soup powder.
The Sara Lee Bakery NIOSH evaluation measured airborne flour dust, alpha-amylase, and wheat; it found employees handling unbaked dough or dry ingredients were overexposed to flour dust and reported a health hazard from flour dust and other bakery amylase allergens at that facility.
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page 4 · Highlights of the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation · 3We measured airborne flour dust, α-amylase, and wheat ... Employees handling unbaked dough or dry ingredients were overexposed to flour dust.
A NIOSH evaluation of poultry breading workers found employees were overexposed to flour dust, and that some employees were sensitized to flour dust, wheat, spices, and other ingredients; sensitization to flour dust, wheat, corn, or onion was associated with more reported work-related asthma symptoms in this workplace study.
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page 3 · What We Found · 2We found that employees were overexposed ... some employees were sensitized to flour dust, wheat, spices, and other ingredients. Employees who were sensitized to flour dust, wheat, corn, or onion were more likely to report work-related asthma symptoms.