Wheat to flour

Farmers plant seeds which grow into wheat. Wheat grains grow at the top of
the plant. They are closely packed together in clusters called ears. Each ear of
wheat is made up of 45-50 grains, however, this can vary depending on the
type of wheat. It is these starchy grains that we eat.

Each grain of wheat has three distinct parts. First there is the coarse outer
bran layers. Inside the bran layer there are two parts. The smaller part is
called the wheat germ – a new plant would grow from this part. The larger
part is called the endosperm. This is the starchy store of food which the germ
feeds on while it grows.

The endosperm is the white flour we use to make many products. After
milling, the wheat germ and bran can be added back to white flour in different
amounts to create either brown or wholemeal flour.

Growing wheat
Autumn/winter (September to November)
In autumn/winter, the field is ploughed to break up compacted soil. The seed
is then planted. (The seed is grains of wheat produced previously.) The seeds
need water, warmth and light to grow.
Farmers spread fertiliser on the fields. The fertiliser provides extra nutrients to
help the plants grow well and produce a greater yield.

Spring

In the spring, the wheat plants will grow more quickly and start producing ears
of grain. The ears will be green in colour. The farmer uses sprays to protect
the wheat from weeds, disease and pests.
Summer
During the summer, the ears of grain ripen and turn golden yellow. In August,
the wheat is harvested by the combine harvester. The combine cuts the wheat
plant and separates the grain from the straw and the ‘chaff’. These are the
inedible parts of the plant – the stalk and the husks which cover the grain. In
the past, before combine harvesters, people would ‘thrash’ the wheat by
beating it on the ground to release the grain. Now, the combine cuts and
thrashes the wheat. The grain is collected in the combine’s tank and the straw
and chaff is dropped back onto the field. The straw will be gathered later by a
baler and bundled into bales. The grain is dried and stored and then sent to a
flour mills or other processors.

Milling wheat

Wheat can be used to make many foods such as bread, cakes, biscuits,
pancakes, soups, sauces, pasta, batter, fish finger crumb, chocolate, crumpets,
muffins, stock cubes, breakfast cereal. However, before it is used to make
different foods, it has to be milled.
Screening and cleaning
Firstly the wheat is cleaned and the things that cannot be eaten are removed.
Powerful magnets, metal detectors and other machines extract metal objects,
stones and other grains such as barley, oats and small seeds from the wheat
grain. Throughout the cleaning process, air currents lift off dust and chaff.
Milling
In the past, grain was milled by being crushed in one go between two big
stones (in a windmill or watermill). Nowadays millers use a much more
gradual approach and grind a bit and separate the different components then
grind and
separate a bit more. During the ‘first break’ the grain is milled through steel
rollers with teeth that break the grains open. It is then repeatedly reduced
and sifted to separate the wheat germ, bran and endosperm and achieve the
desired colour and consistency of flour.

The whitest flours are produced from the early reduction rolls, with the flour
getting less white on later rolls as the proportion of bran particles increases.
Bran
The bran is the skin of the grain. Bran is very high in fibre. It is used in cereal
such as bran flakes and animal feed is also made from bran. Bran (and wheat
germ) is put back into the white flour to make wholemeal flour - however, we
only make a small amount of wholemeal flour so to avoid a lot of bran being
wasted, it is used to make wheatfeed to feed animals, e.g. cattle, pigs,
chickens.

Flour
In the past, when flour was ground between two stones, it was very difficult to
get such white, uniform, fine particles. Advances in the way the particles are
separated and ground means that we have pure white silky smooth flour
today; which goes on to make a huge array of products.

Brown flour is made by recombining the white flour with some of the wheat
germ and bran that were separated out in the milling process.

Wholemeal flour is made by recombining the white flour with all the wheat
germ and bran in the same proportions as they were in the original grain.

WHEAT FOODS PROVIDE…

Thiamin (B1)- Needed daily for good appetite, digestion, and healthy nerves.
It also helps the body make better use of fat and carbohydrates.

Riboflavin (B2)- This vitamin is essential for the use of protein by the body.

Niacin (B3)- This is the “anti-pellagra” vitamin. Pellagra is a nutrient deficient

disease that has been virtually eliminated since the enrichment of white flour
products began in the 1940’s.

Iron– Iron is essential for providing our bodies with energy. Iron acts in this
way by carrying oxygen from the lungs to muscles and other parts of the body.
A deficiency of iron causes a disease known as anemia which results
in a lack of energy.

Protein– Wheat foods provide 2-4 grams of protein per one ounce serving. Six
to seven ounces of protein per day are required for the average teenager and
adult. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair
and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and
repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other
body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles,
cartilage, skin, and blood.

Insoluble fiber– Found in wheat bran and whole grains, insoluble fiber passes
through the digestive system quickly, promoting regularity and reducing the
risk of colon irregularities or diverticulosus, a type of colon disease.
Research suggests foods containing insoluble fiber may also help reduce the
risk of colon and breast cancer when part of a low-fat diet.

Soluble fiber– Found in oats, beans, some fruits and vegetables and refined
white flour products. Studies indicate foods containing soluble fiber may help
decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helping to reduce the risk
of heart disease. They may also help control blood sugar levels in people with
diabetes.

All-purpose flour is a product of the ground endosperm of hard wheat or a

combination of hard and soft wheat kernels.

Enriched all-purpose flour has iron and B-vitamins (thiamine, niacin, and
riboflavin) added in amounts equal to or exceeding that in whole wheat flour.

Bleached all-purpose flour is exposed to chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide to

whiten and brighten flour color. Chlorine also affects baking quality by
“maturing” or oxidizing the flour, which is beneficial for cake and cookie
baking. The bleaching agents react and do not leave harmful residues or
destroy nutrients.

Unbleached all-purpose flour is bleached by oxygen in the air during an aging

process and is off-white in color. Nutritionally, bleached and unbleached flour
are equivalent.

Bread flour is ground form the endosperm of the hard red spring wheat
kernel. Bread flour is usually enriched and although similar to allpurpose flour,
it has greater gluten strength and is generally used for yeast breads.

Self-rising flour is an all-purpose flour with salt and leavening added. One cup
of self-rising flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon
salt.

Gluten flour is processed from high protein wheat. It is used by bakers in

combination with low protein or nonwheat flours. The increased amount of
gluten improves baking quality and produces yeast breads of high protein
content.

Semolina is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum wheat. It is high in

protein and is used to create high quality pasta products such as macaroni and
spaghetti.

Durum flour is a by-product in the production of semolina and is used for

American noodles, some types of pasta and occasionally in specialty breads.

Farina is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum. It is used to make

hot breakfast cereals, most commonly known as Cream of Wheat® or Malt- O-
Meal®.

Whole wheat flour is flour produced from the entire berry of wheat. It
includes coarsely ground bran and germ as well as endosperm in the mix. The
presence of bran reduces the gluten percentage in the flour mix therefore
whole wheat breads are often heavier than breads made from white flour.

Whole wheat flour is rich in B-vitamins, vitamin E and protein and contains
more trace minerals and dietary fiber than white flour. Since whole wheat
flour contains so many minerals, it does not have to be enriched as
white flour does.
In most recipes, whole wheat flour can be mixed half and half with white flour
to increase the gluten percentage.

Graham flour is another term for whole wheat flour.

FSSAI extends direction issued regarding wheat flour nomenclature

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had recently issued a
direction under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, regarding use of the
term wheat flour/ whole wheat flour/ refined wheat flour as English
nomenclature for Atta or Maida on the packaging label of food products.

According to FSSAI, it has been observed that Food Business Operators (FBOs)
are using term Wheat Flour as English nomenclature for Maida on the label of
the food products which does not convey the exact nature of ingredient used
for manufacturing of various food items to the consumers as well as
enforcement officials.

As per as the new direction, atta should be labeled as wheat flour whereas
maida should be labeled as refined wheat flour. FBOs are directed to comply
with these requirements by the extended deadline of 31st July 2019.

https://nuffoodsspectrum.in/news/34/4874/fssai-extends-direction-
issued-regarding-wheat-flour-nomenclature.html
01 May 2019 | News