Flour treatment agents are food additives that are combined with flour to improve baking functionality. Flour treatment agents are used to increase the speed of dough rising and to improve the strength and workability of the dough, by oxidizing the surfaces of the flour grains, and help with developing of gluten.

Oxidizing agents are added to flour to help with gluten development. They may or may not also act as bleaching agents. Originally flour was naturally aged through exposure to the atmosphere.

Oxidizing agents primarily affect sulfur-containing amino acids, ultimately helping to form disulfide bridges between the gluten molecules. The addition of these agents to flour will create stronger dough.

Flour bleaching agents are added to flour to make it appear whiter (freshly milled flour is yellowish).