ACI Group responds to HSE bakery inspections with low-dust flour positioned as substitution-led control under COSHH hierarchy

The inspections will assess whether employers are correctly applying the hierarchy of controls to manage exposure to dusty ingredients linked to occupational asthma, with particular focus on whether elimination and substitution have been fully considered before reliance on ventilation and respiratory protective equipment. 

Flour dust remains one of the most common causes of occupational asthma in Great Britain, with HSE warning that once workers become sensitised, the condition is often irreversible, and even minimal exposure can trigger symptoms. Tasks such as dough handling, ingredient tipping and cleaning are identified as high-risk activities where airborne dust can persist if not properly controlled.

ACI Group says the regulatory focus reinforces a critical shift in approach.

“The hierarchy of control is not optional sequencing – it is the foundation of prevention,” says Jack Helm, Account Manager – Food at ACI Group. “If substitution is available and effective, then relying primarily on extraction or PPE means the risk has not been designed out.”

TIP-TOP® Ultra Clean is a hydrothermally treated release flour developed to reduce fine particle formation during handling and application significantly. By modifying the starch structure through a physical process, it reduces airborne flour dust by 70–80% compared with conventional dusting flours, directly targeting the primary exposure pathway associated with respiratory sensitisation.

ACI Group positions this as a substitution-led intervention that enables manufacturers to reduce reliance on engineering controls and PPE by addressing dust generation at source.

“The most effective control is the one that prevents exposure from occurring in the first place,” the company adds. “Once airborne dust is present, you are already managing risk downstream.”

Beyond occupational health, reduced airborne particulate levels deliver wider operational benefits. Lower dust loads improve workplace air quality, reduce contamination of equipment and production surfaces, and decrease reliance on ventilation systems and respiratory protective equipment.

In one industrial application, a bakery processing approximately 480 tonnes of flour annually reported a reduction of around 330 tonnes in flour usage following the introduction of a low-dust system. The change was also associated with reduced PPE waste and measurable decreases in CO₂ emissions linked to lower cleaning intensity and reduced ventilation demand.

HSE has previously highlighted the effectiveness of substitution strategies, referencing bakery operations where trialling low-dust flours and suppressants significantly reduced exposure and reduced reliance on downstream mechanical controls.

ACI Group says this reinforces the industry's direction of travel.

“What inspections make clear is that compliance is no longer just about having controls in place,” the company notes. “It is about whether the right controls have been selected in the first place. Substitution is increasingly the dividing line.”

Available in conventional and organic formats, TIP-TOP® Ultra Clean is positioned for industrial bakeries seeking to align with HSE expectations under COSHH while improving operational efficiency, hygiene performance and cost-in-use without capital-intensive process redesign.