The Myth of Whole Wheat

Is the bread you are buying that is labeled "Whole Wheat" really whole wheat?  Probably not.  Unless your bakery grinds their wheat fresh, then what you are eating is a lot less than "Whole Wheat". 

Even products that are labeled "100% Whole Wheat" do not by US law, contain real whole wheat.  The reason is simple, wheat germ CANNOT be packaged and allowed to sit at room temperature without it spoiling and becoming rancid.  Wheat, like most cereal grains, consists of a hard outer coating called the ectosperm or bran.   Encased inside the bran is the starchy layer called the endosperm, a layer that has few nutrients.  Inside that is the germ, the actual living part of the grain, this is primarily where all the nutrients are stored in the form of germ oil.  When wheat (or any grain) is ground, the rich germ gets exposed to air and oxidation begins almost immediately.  Unless refrigerated, or used to manufacture a food products, the germ and germ oil will become rancid.   Very finely ground wheat that is ground in a high speed impact grinder will disperse the globules of wheat germ oil throughout the mix.  Those finer particles will begin to oxidize immediately.  Depending on the size of the particles, finer ones will combine with oxygen within a day or so.  The larger particles will clump together in a process called agglutination.  (not the reference to languages)  As the particles clump through the attraction at the molecular level, then the larger clumps are not exposed to free oxygen as the small particles are.  There is still small amounts of oxygen present within the clumps, but not near enough for total oxidation and so rancidity begins to occur.  Generally within a couple of days or so, unrefrigerated ground wheat will begin to smell bad, rancid.  It is usable, but the resulting baked goods will be off tasting.  Stone ground wheat is generally coarser, in the 8k to 22k angstrom size and these will oxidize less rapidly as the globules of the wheat germ are not as exposed to oxygen.  Stone ground wheat will be fresher for a week or more.

The US FDA understands this process and so allows flour processors to sift off the heavy wheat germ from the bran and the starchy virtually nutrient free flour.  By US FDA law 21 C.F.R. 137.200 processors are allowed to sift ground flour using an 850 µm sieve.  They are allowed to sift off up to 50% of the total weight of the flour and remove it.  The resulting flour left can be called "Whole Wheat" even though it contains little of the nutrient rich germ.  Fifty per cent.  That's a lot.  There is a small amount of wheat germ that remains, it must be fine enough to go through the sieve.  These particles of wheat germ are so small that they oxidize before they have a chance to turn rancid and spoil.  That oxidation binds up most of the nutrients making them unavailable for absorption by your body, and allows the wheat to be packaged and stored without becoming rancid.  What's left is white flour, which is virtually nutrient free, finely ground bran, which has benefits, but little nutritive value, and oxidized wheat germ.

Where does that fifty per cent that gets sifted off go?  Pigs.  It is not coincidental that the major wheat producing states also are major pork producing states as well.  What does this mean to you?  Well, it means that instead of getting any of the 44 major nutrients and hundred or so micro nutrients that are present in the wheat germ, you are getting starchy flour, oxidized germ, and some of the wheat bran. 

All of the free cooking classes at Austin Healthy Cooking start with Chef Roy giving information on nutrition and then the ritual of the grinding of the wheat to make fresh bread.  Bread truly is the staff of life, but only if it is healthy and nutritious to begin with.