1. to treat (flour or other food) with nitrogen trichloride or similar chemical agents to improve baking properties and bleach color
Usage: chiefly historical; food industry/chemistry term; the practice has been largely discontinued in many countries due to safety concerns

Examples

• Flour mills agenized their products to achieve whiter bread and better rise.
• The bakery used agenized flour to improve the texture of their baked goods.
• Modern food safety regulations have made agenizing flour less common than it once was.
• Agenized flour was popular in the mid-20th century before concerns about chemical additives emerged.