Wheat processing: Milling

The single term ‘milling’ applied in the context of cereals, covers a wide range of processes. Wheat is milled in a continuous process to remove the bran and germ and reduce the wheat kernel to flour to be used in various baked and nonbaked goods.

A small portion of production is geared towards the production of whole-wheat flours employing a simplified process flow sheet, but most demand and effort is directed towards the production of white flour. The conventional milling process of wheat first involves washing to remove foreign substance such as dirt or rocks.

Milling is a process by which kernel components are separated physically or chemically. Once the endosperm is separated it subsequently is ground multiple times in reduction rolls to become finer and finer for flour.

As the bran and germ are removed, the refined flour contains streams that contain less vitamins and minerals. If flours streams of the endosperm are blended during the milling process various flours are created. Other products of the process, e.g. vital gluten, can supplement other edible products.

Millfeeds, the material remaining after all the usable flour is extracted is used by the feed industry either directly or as a feed supplement.

Wheat milling practices might cause significant differences in flour quality, which are due to flour particle size, extraction rate, and the level of starch damage.

In general, 100 pounds of wheat will produce 72 pounds of flour. The remaining 28 pounds is classified as millfeed.
Wheat processing: Milling