Flour

The production of flour from grain is a complex process. During milling, the grain is “reduced”, or broken down and sieved into specific parts called fractions. For some types of flour, notably whole wheat, the whole grain is milled; for others, the outer layers of bran and the germ (embryo), which is rich in protein, vitamins and oil, are removed. The endosperm that remains makes up 85 percent of the grain and is the part that supplies the starch. This is the part used in milling white flour. Flours milled from grains other than wheat—for example, rye—are milled from the whole grain. Coarsely ground flour is often called meal, as in cornmeal.