[Link]. Title Page No.

1 Introduction 3

2 Origin 3

3 Importance of wheat 3

4 Production Statistics of Wheat 4

Quality Status of Indian Wheat

5 5

Various ways of Wheat Milling

6 6

Types of roller mills

7 8

8 Advantages of roller mills 9

Steps involved in rolling process

8 9

Storage of milled wheat

9 11

Products and by-products of flour

10 14

11 Conclusion 20

12 References 20

1
Introduction

The importance of wheat as a primary food source across the world may be seen in the usage
of a stylised wheat spike as an FAO emblem. After rice, wheat is India's most popular cereal.
During the years 2000-2001, India's total estimated food grain output was 195.92 million
tonnes, with wheat accounting for 68.76 million tonnes, or roughly 35%. After China, India
has surpassed China as the world's second-largest wheat producer, accounting for 12.06
percent of global wheat production. Wheat output has grown substantially because of the
adoption of modern production techniques, thanks to the efforts of policymakers, agricultural
scientists, extension workers, and receptive farmers. India's wheat output grew dramatically
from 4 million tonnes in 1948–49 to 72.8 million tonnes in 2002–2003. Wheat availability
per capita rose from 65.7 grammes per day or 24.0 kilogrammes per year in 1951 to 135.8
grammes or 49.6 kilogrammes in 2001.

Origin

According to Vavilov's well-known study, the origin of bread wheat was in the northwestern
regions of the Indian Subcontinent and the adjoining territory of Afghanistan. Wheat was
cultivated in the region around 5000 years ago, according to archaeological findings at
Mohenjo-daro. Wheat has been cultivated in India since prehistoric times. Wheat is a member
of the Graminae family and belongs to the genus Triticum. Gehun, Kanak, Gandham in
Hindi, Gehun, Gahang in Marathi, Godhumalu in Telugu, Godhi in Kannad, Godumai,
Godumbairisi in Tamil, Gendhkum, Godamba in Malayalam are some of the regional names
for wheat. Despite the fact that there are more than 25 species of wheat in the globe, only
three are commercially produced in India: T-aestivum / vulgare Linn (Bread wheat), [Link]
(Macaroni wheat), and [Link] (Emmer wheat).

Importance

Wheat eating grew in popularity across the country as a result of a higher flow of marketable
surplus and the diffusion of awareness that whole meal atta contains double the amount of
proteins and five times the amount of calcium when compared to rice consumption. Another
element that has contributed to wheat's extensive consumption is its gluten component, which
makes it the most adaptable grain with a wide range of applications. It is in charge of dough's

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rheological properties. It absorbs and holds moisture, traps gases in the dough, and enhances
the colour of the crust.

Production Statistics

Wheat is grown in more than 120 nations across the world. China, India, the United States,
the Russian Federation, Canada, Australia, and other significant wheat-producing countries
are listed below. During the years 2001-2003, China emerged as the world's greatest wheat
producer, accounting for 15.7 percent of global wheat output, followed by India, which
accounted for 12.06 percent of global wheat production. Although India had the biggest area
under wheat in the world, with 12.08 percent, followed by China with 11.08 percent, the
productivity of wheat in China was significantly greater, at 3830 kgs per hectare compared to
2696 kgs per hectare in India.

India has made great strides in wheat production. It produced just 6.46 million tonnes in
1950-1951, but by 2003, it had risen to 65.12 million tonnes. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar together accounted for 93.31 percent of total output in
India. Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for 34.89 percent of total Indian production, with
Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar accounting for 21.55, 13.20, 8.81,
8.57, and 6.2 percent, respectively.

The country's wheat-growing area can be divided into five agronomic divisions: I the
Gangetic alluvium of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; (ii) the Indus alluvium of Punjab and Haryana;
(iii) the black soils of Central and Southern India; (iv) the hilly soils of the Himalaya and
elsewhere; and (v) the Rajasthan desert soils. The first two divisions are the best for growing
wheat.

Durum wheat accounts for almost 10% of the country's wheat production. Its cultivation has
hitherto been limited to rain-fed regions of Central and Peninsular India. Semi dwarf varieties
are now also grown in irrigated regions. Durum cultivars developed recently, such as HI 8381
and HI 8498, are high yielding and resistant to yellow rust and Karnal-bunt, as well as
meeting export criteria. The texture of these durum types is the toughest, and the Kernel is
lengthy and amber in colour. It is excellent for the pasta business because to its high gluten
concentration, granular structure, and non-binding characteristics. Durum pasta has a solid
texture and a constant cooking quality. The golden colour comes from the yellow endosperm.

3
QUALITY STATUS OF INDIAN WHEAT

Wheat has certain unusual qualities, the most notable of which is the ability of its proteins to
create a cohesive elastic material called Gluten when combined with water. Gluten is the part
of wheat protein that provides the spongy feel of bread and other baked goods. Gluten is
made up of 75–80 percent protein and 5–10 percent lipids by dry weight. Both gliadin and
glutenin are required for the formation of gluten. Glutenin is considered to give the gluten its
firmness, whereas gliadin is responsible for its softness and stickiness. The gliadin binds to
the glutenin and prevents it from being washed away during the gluten washing process.
Glutenin is insoluble in neutral solvents but soluble in acidic or alkaline solvents, whereas
gliadin is soluble in 60% aqueous alcohol.

Wheat quality is determined by variety, agro-climatic conditions, production technique,

cultural practises, and other factors. It has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the
same variety cultivated in different parts of the world yields wheat with varied quality
features. When cultivated in Niphad, WH 147 grains produced the best chapatti (Score
7.25/10) and the worst [5.58/10] when produced at Jobner. Even pre-harvest interventions
have an impact on post-harvest traits.

Different nations evaluate different quality characteristics such as admixture, damaged and
shrivelled grains, colour, hardness, protein, sedimentation value, spread factor, and so on.
Foreign matter, other food grains, somewhat damaged, and shrivelled grains were the
requirements for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of FCI in 1970-71. The maximum limitations
were improvised in 1977-78, and the notion of four classes was devised.

Wheat surplus stocks have transformed consumer tastes and consumption patterns in the post-
WTO age, with a focus on market-driven production, export, and value addition. The
parameters of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) cannot be utilised for export. Quality
criteria will be incorporated over time, allowing direct distribution from the farm gate to end
customers, reducing time, transit, and storage costs.

International quality factors such as hectolitre weight, total defect percentage, moisture,
sedimentation value, hardness, protein, and product specific quality factors such as Alkaline
water retention capacity (AWRC – percentage), extraction rate, dough properties, spread
factor, and so on must be considered.

4
A prior examination of wheat samples from various types produced in various places /
regions of India found that samples from Punjab (65.5%) qualified for US Grades II and III,
while samples from Haryana (65.6%) qualified for US Grades III and IV. The overall defect
was found to be the greatest limiting issue for Indian wheat, with just 11.7 percent of samples
meeting the US Grade – I standard. As a result, foreign materials, shrunken, fractured, and
damaged Kernels have not been removed effectively. Total faults were decreased to 2.25
percent using Wheat Grading Equipment. Protein %, sedimentation value (cc), and hardness
are all factors that may be used to classify Indian wheat.

As a result, in today's market-oriented agriculture, the creation of product-specific varieties

and growing on product-specific sites is critical. Cakes and cookies should be made using
wheat types that have a low gluten level and a protein content of less than 10%, whereas
chapaties should be made with noodles and wheat varieties that have a medium protein (9 to
12%) and gluten content. Macaroni and white bread, on the other hand, require a high protein
level (over 12%) and robust gluten strength.

VARIOUS WAYS OF WHEAT MILLING

Mills and Mill stones – These are larger circular-shaped stones that are used in such mills,
and these produce a finer flour than that produced by handheld instruments. A great diversity
of power source is used to drive the rotating action of the runner stone. Initially, these large
stones were turned by animals or slaves. Later, water or wind became the source of power to
turn the millstone. An intricate system of groves known as furrows distribute the grain across
the millstone surface, and serve to ventilate and cool the millstones. The grinding surfaces of
the millstones are known as lands and are divided into areas called harps.  Once ground the
flour passes along narrow groves called cracking and is expelled from the edge of the
millstones.

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 Fig. 1: Mill stones

Roller Mills - These mills operate by passing the grain between a series of paired counter-
rotating rollers with fluted surfaces. The resulting crushed grain is sieved between each roller
pair to separate the bran from the starchy endosperm. The end product is a super-fine white
flour. To produce wholemeal flour from this type of milling it is necessary to collect the bran
that have been sieved off during the early stages of milling and add them back to the final
product. To obtain a brown flour a proportion only of the extracted material is added back.

Early roller mills were driven by steam engines, while modern examples are powered by
electric motors. These mills are not only faster than traditional mills, they also produce a
greater quantity of white flour of a higher quality. However, because of their higher speeds
and more vigorous action there is a lot more damage done to the components of the flour.
There are ways to reduce the damage and maintain a greater level of natural nutrients and
milling technology is evolving to reduce the pressures and temperatures within the rolls. On
the other hand, the fluted surface of roller mills breaks up starch molecules and giving the
resulting flour a greater capacity to absorb water.

Fig. 2: Roller Mill

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TYPES OF ROLLER MILLS

1. Two-roller mills Two-roller mills are the simplest variety, in which the material is
crushed between two rollers before it continues on to its final destination. The spacing
between these two rollers can be adjusted by the operator. Thinner spacing usually
leads to that material being crushed into smaller pieces.

Fig. 3: Two Roller Mill

2. Four-roller mills Four-roller mills have two sets of rollers. When using a four-roller
mill to mill grain, the grain first goes through rollers with a rather wide gap, which
separates the seed from the husk without much damage to the husk, but leaves large
grits. Flour is sieved out of the cracked grain, and then the coarse grist and husks are
sent through the second set of rollers, which further crush the grist without damaging
the crusts. Similarly, there are three-roller mills, in which one of the rollers is used
twice.

7
 Fig. 4: Four Roller Mill
3. Five and six-roller mills Six-roller mills have three sets of rollers. When using this
type of mill on grain, the first set of rollers crush the whole kernel, and its output is
divided three ways: Flour immediately is sent out the mill, grits without a husk
proceed to the last roller, and husk, possibly still containing parts of the seed, go to
the second set of rollers. From the second roller flour is directly output, as are husks
and any possible seed still in them, and the husk-free grits are channelled into the last
roller. Five-roller mills are six-roller mills in which one of the rollers performs double
duty.

In modern milling, the wheat is subjected to cleaning to remove various types of

impurities together with damaged kernels.

ADVANTAGES OF ROLLER MILL

1. High capacity and efficiency

2. Centrifugally casted parallel operating rolls
3. Easy and minimum periodical maintenance
4. Low operation and maintenance cost
5. Minimum consumption of spare parts
6. Cost of operation and maintenance is very low.
7. Low energy consumption.
8. Depending upon grain amount, by means of capacitive level indicators, automatically
actuated flexible feeding control system.

8
 9. Minimum time consumption during erection and dismantling of the rolls.
10. No need gears modification since they don’t exist in the new model.
11. Durability and long life.
12. Easy adaptation to automation system.
13. Noiseless and smooth working conditions.
14. Automatic engagement and disengagement of rolls.
15. Double layer isolation prevents condensation

STEPS INVOLVED IN ROLLING PROCESS

1. Vibrating Screen: This removes bits of straw and other coarse materials and
second screen removes foreign materials like seeds.

2. Aspirator: It lifts off lighter impurities in the wheat. The stream of grain is

directed across screens while air sucks off the dust and lighter particles.

3. Disc separator: After the aspirator it moves into a disc separator consisting of

discs revolving on a horizontal axis. The surface of the discs indented to catch
individual grains of wheat but reject larger of smaller material.

4. Scourer: The wheat then moves into the scourer, a machine in which beaters

attached to a central shaft throw the wheat violently against the surrounding
drum, buffing each kernel and breaking off the kernel hairs.

5. Magnetic Separator: The stream of wheat next passes over a magnetic

separator that pulls out iron and steel particles contaminated during harvesting.

6. Washer stoner: high-speed rotators spin the wheat in the water bath. Excess

water is thrown out by centrifugal force. Stones drop to the bottom and are
removed. Lighter material float off leaving only the clean wheat.

7. Tempering: Wheat is tempered, before the start of grinding, the process in

which moisture is added. Tempering aids in separation of the bran from
the endosperm and helps to provide constant controlled amount of moisture and

9
 temperature throughout milling. The percentage of moisture, length of soaking,
time and temperature are three important factors in tempering with different
requirement in soft, medium and hard wheat.

8. Entoleter: Discs revolving at high speed in the scourer aspirator hurl

the wheat against finger like pins. The impact cracks down any unsound kernel
which is rejected.

9. Grinding bin: The “first break” rolls of a mill and are corrugated rather than
smooth, break into coarse particles.

10. Sifter: The broken particles of wheat and bran go into a box like sifter where
they are shaken through a series of cloth or screens to separate larger from the
smaller particles. Larger particles are shaken off from the top by leaving the
final flour to shift towards the bottom.

11. Purifier: The top fractions and particles of endosperm graded by size are

carried to separate purifiers. In a purifier a controlled flow of air lifts off bran
particles while cloth screen separates and grade coarse fractions by size and
qualities.

12. The down purifier: Four or five additional break rolls with successively final
corrugations and each followed by a sifter are usually used to rework the coarse
stock from the sifter and reduce the wheat particles granular middlings as free
from bran as possible.

STORAGE OF MILLED WHEAT

Infestation of wheat and flour is one of the typical problems for wheat dealers and flour
millers. Maintaining the quality of wheat and wheat flour becomes a challenging task.

The flour can be stored upto 6 months without any sign of damage if proper care and control
environmental conditions are present. But in India it is difficult to achieve this feat. It gets
infected within 2 months, the shelf life of wheat and flour.

10
The following are the reasons of infestations in wheat and flour:

1. Rodent infestation in wheat at the farms

2. Moisture content of the wheat/flour
3. Storage Conditions
4. Storage –Temperature & Humidity
5. Cross Contamination
6. Unhygienic Conditions
7. Cracks on the floors & walls
8. Standing water near the stores
9. Spillage & bird faeces in the stores/stairs & floors
10. Presence of wheat germs in the flour, especially
11. Whole wheat flour.
12. Type of packaging materials used
13. Birds’ nest landing sites & droppings at the stores/ mills

Few precautions to be taken:

1. The moisture level in wheat flour is a critical characteristic that impacts the wheat's
shelf life. If the wheat obtained from the farm has a high moisture content and is not
adequately cleaned, it will be infected more quickly. Wheat should be kept in a clean,
sanitary, well-ventilated, and isolated environment. Infestations in stored wheat
should be checked on a regular basis. The miller should inspect the wheat for
infestation and other quality characteristics as it arrives at the mill store area.
Following receipt of the wheat, it should be fumigated with a fumigant, such as
aluminium phosphide tablets, and maintained under fumigation for a long period, at
least 72 hours.
2. Wheat should not be left inactive for lengthy periods of time, and the temperature of
stored wheat should be checked on a regular basis.
3. The miller must ensure that the wheat is clear of weevils before using it for milling. If
weevil infestation is discovered, fumigate infected wheat for 72 hours and mill
another batch that is clear of weevils.
4. To clean dirt from the wheat, use Emery rollers or scouring machines in the cleaning
line and before the milling line. Insect eggs are commonly deposited in the wheat

11
 crest because it is an excellent location for egg deposition. To temper and mill the
wheat, remove all of the screens and use clean wheat. Maintain a moisture content of
less than 14% in the flour (12.5 to 13.5 percent recommended). For flour packaging,
use pre-fumigated packing materials. Keep the bags/containers closed at all times.

To improve the shelf life of the flour, following additional precautions should be taken
by millers:

1. Use clean & fumigated wheat for milling

2. Use scouring machines in the cleaning line
3.  Set cleaning machines with optimum efficiency to separate out all the impurities
from the wheat
4.  To get rid of non-moving grains at elevator bottoms and outlets, wheat conveyor
troughs, and tempered wheat conveyors, clean the dead pockets of the cleaning line
on a regular basis.
5.  Fumigate empty wheat bag.
6.  Before milling, use scourers to remove dirt in tempered wheat
7. Roller mills, feed hoppers, flour conveyors, gravity spouts, plan shifters, purifiers,
bran finishers, flour bins, flour elevators, flour packing hoppers, bran elevators line,
and other milling equipment should be cleaned on a regular basis.
8.  Fumigate packing materials before every use
9.  Frequently fumigate bins & conveyors
10.  Always keep the packing area & the flour storage area clean
11.  Building/store entrance should have sliding doors with fine wire mesh to arrest files
& insects
12. Cover all the water tunnels that are in close proximity to the mill & stores
13.  Mill & stores surrounding should be free from grass
14.  Avoid gaps between beams & walls
15.  It is advisable to smooth finish the walls & roofs to prevent dust adhesion
16.  Surrounding areas should be cleaned properly
17.  Used mill spares & sieves must be cleaned and then placed at the store
18.  Employees should use clean uniforms, hair nets and gloves
19.  Keep the flour bags closed all the time.
20.  Flour storage area should be well ventilated

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 21.  Keep the packing materials in a hygienic location
22.  Annually fumigate the mill and seal it properly. However, you may not need to
fumigate mills and stores if you keep them clean, hygienic, and adequately ventilated
on a regular basis.

Fig. 5: Storage Silos

PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS OF MILLED WHEAT (FLOUR)

Wheat flour is the most significant ingredient in home baking, and it serves as the foundation
for practically all professionally produced goods and pasta. The grains used to make flour,
such as wheat, are one-of-a-kind. It is the only cereal grain that contains enough gluten to
make a standard loaf of bread without the addition of additional grains. When making rye
bread, for example, a certain quantity of wheat flour is normally contained in the final result.
Breads without wheat flour can be manufactured, but they are uncommon because the loaf
will not rise as high and will be very dense.

1. All-purpose flour (maida):

The pulverised endosperm of hard wheat kernels or a combination of hard and soft wheat
kernels are used to make all-purpose flour. Iron and B-vitamins (thiamine, niacin, and
riboflavin) are added to enriched all-purpose flour in proportions equal to or more than whole
wheat flour colour. Chlorine also improves the quality of baked goods by "maturing" or
oxidising the wheat, which is good for cake and cookie making. The bleaching agents react

13
without leaving any hazardous residues or depleting nutrients. Unbleached all-purpose flour
is off-white in colour and is bleached by oxygen in the air throughout the ageing process.
Bleached and unbleached flour are nutritionally similar.

Fig. 6: All-purpose flour

2. Bread flour:
The endosperm of the hard red spring wheat kernel is processed into bread flour. Bread flour
is commonly enriched, and while it looks and functions similarly to all-purpose flour, it has a
higher gluten strength and is used for yeast breads.

Fig. 7: Bread flour

3. Self-rising flour:
Self-rising flour is an all-purpose flour with salt and leavening added. One cup of self-rising
flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

14
 Fig. 8: Self-rising flour

4. Cake flour:
Cake flour is milled from soft wheat and is especially suitable for cakes, cookies, crackers,
and pastries. It contains less protein and gluten.

Fig. 9: Cake flour

5. Pastry flour:
Pastry flour has comparable protein, but less starch than cake flour. It is milled from a soft,
low gluten wheat and is majorly used for pastries.

15
 Fig. 10: Pastry flour

6. Gluten flour:
Gluten flour is made from wheat with a high protein content. Bakers use it in conjunction
with reduced protein or non-wheat flours in their recipes. Gluten content is raised, which
enhances baking quality and results in high-protein yeast breads.

Fig. 11: Gluten Flour

7. Semolina:
Semolina is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum wheat. It contains high protein and is
used to create high quality pasta products such as macaroni and spaghetti.

16
 Fig. 12: Semolina flour

8. Durum flour:
Drum flour is a by-product in the production of semolina and is used for making American
noodles, some types of pasta and occasionally in specialty breads.

Fig. 13: Durum flour

9. Farina:
Farina is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum. It is used to make hot breakfast cereals,
most commonly known as Cream of Wheat.

Fig. 14: Farina

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10. Whole wheat flour:
Whole wheat flour is a powdery product made from grinding or mashing the whole grain of
wheat, also known as the wheat berry, and is a basic culinary ingredient. Whole-wheat flour
is commonly mixed with other lighter "white" unbleached or bleached flours (that have been
treated with flour bleaching agents) in the baking of breads and other baked goods to restore
nutrients and body that have been lost in milling and other processing to the finished baked
goods. The term "whole" alludes to the fact that the entire grain (bran, germ, and endosperm)
is used in the flour production process and nothing is wasted. Whole-wheat flour is a full-
flavored flour containing vitamins, minerals and protein. It is also a good source of calcium,
iron, fiber, and other minerals.

Wheat flour is flour made from the entire wheat berry. It's made up of coarsely ground bran
and germ, as well as endosperm. Because the addition of bran reduces the gluten proportion
in the flour mix, whole wheat breads are often heavier than white flour breads. Whole wheat
flour includes more trace minerals and dietary fibre than white flour and is higher in B
vitamins, vitamin E, and protein. Whole wheat flour does not need to be enhanced like white
flour because it has so many minerals. To enhance the gluten proportion in most recipes,
whole wheat flour can be blended half and half with white flour.

Fig. 15: Whole wheat flour

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CONCLUSION

Wheat production contribute significantly to farm sustainability and contribute to alleviation

of malnutrition in the State.  The actual production constraints restrict the sustainability of
this important crop. Whole-wheat products have clear nutritional advantages over their
counterparts obtained from refined flours. These advantages, related to their composition, can
be increased with a proper choice of the wheat to be processed (variety and growing
conditions) and a suitable processing.  There is a great potential for improvement the yield of
the crop and an intervention of the State is needed to ease having the inputs of production
especially irrigation water inputs.

REFERENCES

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]
mill-industry-_61.html

[Link]

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