Cereal Chem 57:361 - 366.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Nutrient Levels in Internationally Milled Wheat Flours.

P. M. Ranum, F. F. Barrett, R. J. Loewe, and K. Kulp. Copyright 1980 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Ninety-five samples of commercially milled wheat flours, collected in 30 different countries, were analyzed for ash, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc content. Information on wheat, milling extraction rates, flour type and its end-use, production quantities, and government regulations was also obtained. A nutrient score, reflecting composition and density of the wheat nutrients in flour, was described and calculated for individual samples. Nutrient levels increased directly with flour ash values, except for calcium and protein, which showed little change. The majority of mills used extraction rates of 72-78%, with 16% of the mills reporting rates over 80%. The total production represented by the tested flours was estimated to be 4.6 million tons. The nutrient score of typical flour (ash 0.6% or below, extraction 72-78%) was 29, about one-third that of optimum wheat. Only 11 samples, from nine different countries, were supplemented with vitamins and minerals (enriched) to varying degrees. Thus, the nutritional quality of a large proportion of flour produced throughout the world is lower than that of wheat as a result of the milling process.