How Wheat Flour Mills are Transforming the Food Industry

Wheat flour is one of the most versatile and widely used ingredients in the food industry. It is the basis for many baked goods, such as bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, and pastries. But how is wheat flour produced, and what are the benefits of using it in food products? In this article, we will explore the process of wheat flour milling, the different types of wheat flour, and some of the applications and innovations that wheat flour enables in the food industry.

Wheat Flour Milling Process

Wheat flour milling is the process of grinding whole wheat grains into fine powder or flour. The process involves several steps:

Cleaning: The wheat grains are cleaned to remove any foreign materials, such as dirt, stones, insects, or seeds.
Conditioning: The wheat grains are moistened and tempered to soften the bran (the outer layer of the grain) and prepare them for milling.
Breaking: The wheat grains are passed through a series of rollers that break them into coarse particles called semolina. The bran is separated from the semolina by sieves or sifters.
Purifying: The semolina is further purified by air currents that remove any remaining bran or germ (the inner part of the grain that contains oil and nutrients).
Reducing: The semolina is reduced to finer particles by passing through more rollers. The degree of fineness determines the type and quality of the flour.
Sifting: The flour is sifted to separate it into different grades or streams, depending on the particle size and quality. The finest flour is called patent flour, while the coarser flour is called clear flour. Some mills also produce specialty flours, such as whole wheat flour or durum flour.
Blending: The flour streams are blended to create different types of flour with specific characteristics, such as protein content, color, or gluten strength. For example, bread flour has a higher protein content than cake flour, which makes it more suitable for making bread.

Types of Wheat Flour

There are many types of wheat flour available in the market, each with its own properties and uses. Some of the common types are:

All-purpose flour

This is a general-purpose flour that can be used for most baking and cooking purposes. It is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat flours, and has a moderate protein content (about 10-12%).

Cake flour

This is a low-protein flour (about 7-9%) that is finely milled and bleached to produce a light and fluffy texture. It is ideal for making cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and other delicate baked goods.

Pastry flour

This is a slightly higher-protein flour (about 9-10%) than cake flour, but still lower than all-purpose flour. It is also finely milled and bleached, but has more gluten strength than cake flour. It is suitable for making pastries, pies, biscuits, scones, and cookies.

Bread flour

This is a high-protein flour (about 12-14%) that is made from hard wheat flours. It has a strong gluten network that allows it to rise well and hold its shape when making breads, rolls, pizza doughs, bagels, and pretzels.

Whole wheat flour

This is a type of flour that contains all parts of the wheat grain, including the bran and the germ. It has a higher fiber, vitamin, mineral, and oil content than refined flours. It also has a darker color and a nuttier flavor. It can be used to make whole wheat breads, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and other baked goods.

Durum flour

This is a type of flour that is made from durum wheat, which is a hard variety of wheat with a high protein content (about 13-15%). It has a yellow color and a coarse texture. It is mainly used to make pasta products, such as spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna, etc.

Applications and Innovations of Wheat Flour in the Food Industry

Wheat flour is not only a staple ingredient in many traditional food products, but also a source of innovation and creativity in the food industry. Some of the applications and innovations that wheat flour enables are:

Functional foods

These are foods that have added health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. For example, some wheat flours are enriched with vitamins, minerals, fiber, or omega-3 fatty acids to enhance their nutritional profile. Some wheat flours are also fortified with probiotics or prebiotics to improve gut health and immunity.

Gluten-free foods

These are foods that do not contain gluten, which is a protein found in wheat and other grains that can cause allergic reactions or digestive problems for some people. Gluten-free foods are made from alternative flours, such as rice, corn, potato, or almond flours. However, some wheat flours are also modified to reduce or eliminate their gluten content, such as vital wheat gluten or wheat starch.

Novel foods

These are foods that are new or unfamiliar to the consumers, either because they are produced by new technologies or because they are derived from new sources. For example, some wheat flours are produced by extrusion, which is a process that uses high temperature and pressure to create new shapes and textures. Some wheat flours are also derived from ancient or exotic varieties of wheat, such as spelt, kamut, einkorn, or emmer.

Wheat Factory: A Growing Industry in a Changing World

Wheat is one of the most important crops in the world, providing food for billions of people and feed for livestock. Wheat is also a versatile raw material for various industries, such as flour milling, baking, brewing, biofuel production and more. In this blog post, we will explore some of the trends and challenges that affect the global demand and supply of wheat and its products.

Wheat Production: Facing Climate Risks and Competition

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global wheat production in 2021/22 is estimated at 770.4 million tonnes, a 0.8 percent decline from the record level of 2020/21. This is mainly due to lower outputs expected in Canada, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, as well as several countries in the Near East, where droughts, frosts, pests and diseases have reduced yields and quality. On the other hand, some major producers, such as Argentina, Australia, the European Union and Ukraine, have increased their production thanks to favorable weather conditions and higher planted area.

The global wheat production is projected to grow at a modest rate of 1.2 percent per year until 2030, reaching 862 million tonnes, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031. However, this growth will be unevenly distributed across regions and countries, depending on factors such as climate change, land availability, water scarcity, input costs, technological innovation and market incentives. For instance, wheat production in North America is expected to decline by 0.4 percent per year, while wheat production in South America is expected to grow by 2.7 percent per year.

Wheat production also faces competition from other crops, such as corn, soybeans and oilseeds, which offer higher returns and more flexibility for farmers. Moreover, wheat production may be constrained by environmental and social concerns, such as soil erosion, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and labor rights.

Wheat Consumption: Driven by Population Growth and Changing Diets

According to the FAO, the global wheat consumption in 2021/22 is forecast at 778.9 million tonnes, a 2.2 percent increase from 2020/21. This is mainly driven by higher food consumption of wheat in line with population growth and higher feed consumption of wheat due to strong demand from the livestock sector.

The global wheat consumption is projected to grow at an average rate of 1.3 percent per year until 2030, reaching 885 million tonnes, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031. However, this growth will also vary across regions and countries, depending on factors such as income levels, urbanization, dietary preferences and health awareness. For instance, wheat consumption in Asia is expected to grow by 1.9 percent per year, while wheat consumption in Europe is expected to decline by 0.3 percent per year.

Wheat consumption also reflects changing consumer preferences and demands for different types of wheat products, such as breads, pastries, noodles, pasta, biscuits and cakes. These products require different qualities of wheat flour, such as protein content, gluten strength and color. Therefore, wheat consumers are becoming more discerning and demanding for quality and variety of wheat products.

Wheat Trade: Shaped by Market Dynamics and Policy Interventions

According to the FAO, the global wheat trade in 2021/22 (July/June) is forecast at 192.3 million tonnes, a 1.8 percent increase from 2020/21 and a new record high. This is mainly supported by larger imports anticipated for Afghanistan, Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, to compensate for reduced production; as well as for Egypt, to replenish stocks.

The global wheat trade is projected to grow at an average rate of 1.5 percent per year until 2030, reaching 216 million tonnes, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031. However, this growth will also depend on factors such as price competitiveness, transportation costs, exchange rates, trade agreements and policy interventions. For instance, wheat trade may be affected by tariffs, quotas, subsidies, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, export restrictions and import regulations.

Wheat trade also reflects the diversity and complexity of the global wheat market, which involves many actors and intermediaries, such as farmers, traders, millers, processors, retailers and consumers. Therefore, wheat trade requires coordination and cooperation among stakeholders to ensure transparency, efficiency and sustainability of the wheat value chain.

References:

http://www.worc.org/userfiles/WORCproductionfactsheet.pdf

https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/810wheat.pdf

http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/17204/1/ar530025.pdf

http://www.ocgi.okstate.edu/shpo/nhrpdfs/09000239.pdf

https://www.statista.com/topics/1668/wheat/

https://www.fao.org/3/cb7491en/cb7491en_wheat.pdf

https://www.uswheat.org/market-information/supply-and-demand/

https://www.world-grain.com/media/photos/91-top-10-largest-u-s-mills-by-capacity