Why Is Wheat Flour Enriched?

Flour is made by grist wheat. Kernels of wheat are crushed, ground and sifted to produce a fine powder. The qualities of the flour so produced will depend on the type of wheat kernel and the grist process.

The type of wheat is foremost in the properties of the flour produced. Hard wheat and soft wheat have distinct proportions of protein and starch. Hard wheats have a higher protein article and lower starch article than soft wheats which have a higher estimate of starch and lower estimate of protein. The high estimate of protein in hard wheat helps to form gluten, the scaffolding or structure of bread. Due to a lower estimate of protein the flour produced from soft wheats is great for cakes. Intermediate protein levels are used in pastry flours, which need to be handled more than bread dough or cake batter.

Wheat Bread

All kinds of flour have the grist process in common. Wheat kernels are subjected to precisely harsh medicine in order to make a fine flour. The germ and bran are removed by sifting after a pair of precisely heavy rollers have cracked open the hard wheat kernels. What's left is called the endosperm, and that part of the wheat kernel is ground to a fine powder. To make a whole grain flour, the wheat germ and bran are added back. It's foremost to remove the bran and germ before the grist step as indispensable heat produced from the grist machinery would degrade these high-fat portions of the wheat kernel.

Flours that don't have the germ and bran added back will be missing some nutrients compared to whole grain flours. The wheat germ and bran comprise B vitamins, vitamin A and iron, which are required for good nutrition. Once bread became produced commercially with the so-called extremely refined flours, the masses of habitancy animated store-bought white bread were in danger of malnutrition.

Government regulators in the majority of states have mandated the enrichment of flours so that at least some of the vitamins and mineral which are removed during processing are replenished. The bread that we buy from local store shelves is made from enriched wheat flour. On the food Label the ingredients list will show niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid and reduced iron. Some bread makers add additional nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.

Enriched bread naturally has a few vitamins and minerals added to the flour that was used to make the bread. However, you can't help wondering what other nutrients are contained in the wheat germ and bran that you may be missing out on. One way to assure that you're getting your fair share of vitamins and healthy nutrients is to choose a healthier kind of bread, one made with whole grains.

Why Is Wheat Flour Enriched?

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