Flour sack facts for kids
A flour sack or flour bag is a special bag used to hold flour. You can find them in very large sizes for businesses or smaller ones for home use.
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What is Flour?
Flour is a powder made by grinding grain, root, or nuts. Most flour comes from wheat. However, you can also make flour from things like corn, rice, or even almonds.
People who design packages (called Packaging engineers) and food experts (called food scientists) work together. They need to understand how different flours behave. They also consider how the flour will be moved and stored. This helps them choose the best bag or container to keep the flour fresh.
Large Flour Bags for Businesses
Flour is often sent in large amounts from the mill (where it's made) to bakeries and other big users. These large bags can hold from 10 kg (about 22 pounds) to 100 kg (about 220 pounds) of flour.
Long ago, people often used cheap cotton bags for flour. These bags sometimes had cool designs. People even collected them! After the flour was used, the flour sack fabric was often reused. People made clothes, towels, or other household items from the strong cotton.
Today, most large flour bags are made from several layers of paper sacks. Some of these bags have a thin layer of plastic film inside. This plastic helps keep the flour fresh. It also stops tiny insects from getting in.
Very strong bags made from woven polypropylene are also used. Some special bags, like Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags, even have extra plastic bags inside them. This helps protect the flour even more.
Flour for Your Home
The flour you buy for baking at home usually comes in smaller bags. These are often made of paper. Sometimes, plastic bags are used, and they might have a way to close them again after opening.
Recently, you might have seen Stand-up pouches of flour. These are bags that can stand upright on their own. They are easy to store in your pantry.
Keeping Insects Away from Flour
Tiny insects can sometimes be a problem in flour. They can spoil the flour if they get in.
One way to help prevent insects is to use special plastic bags that are sealed tightly. These are called hermetic bags. They don't let air or insects in.
If you find insects in your flour, don't worry! You can often stop them from growing. A good trick is to put the flour bags in the freezer for a few days. The cold will kill the insects and their eggs.
See also
In Spanish: Costal para niños
