Boland, Michael A.

Brester, Gary W.

Taylor, Mykel R.

English

Research Papers in Economics

B R I E F I N G 
Briefing No. 75                             June 2005
An Overview of the Wheat Gluten Industry 
 
Michael Boland, Gary W. Brester, Mykel R. Taylor 
Agricultural Marketing Policy Center 
Linfield Hall 
P.O. Box 172800 
Montana State University 
Bozeman, MT 59717-2920 
Tel: (406) 994-3511 
Fax: (406) 994-4838 
email: ampc@montana.edu 
website: www.ampc.montana.edu 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Partial funding for this project provided 
by the USDA Economic Research 
Service under Cooperative Agreement 
63-3AEK-2-80128 is gratefully 
acknowledged.  All views and opinions 
expressed in this briefing paper are 
those of the authors and not those of any 
USDA agency. 
 
Contact: 
 
Gary W. Brester 
(406) 994-7883 
gbrester@montana.edu 
 
Introduction 
 
Approximately 80 percent of U.S. 
spring wheat is produced in 
Montana, North Dakota, and 
South Dakota.  In Montana, about 
3.5 million acres of spring wheat 
(other than durum) are planted 
annually.  This represents about 
60 percent of total wheat 
plantings.  Montana’s semi-arid 
climate encourages the production 
of high protein levels in spring 
wheat.  Wheat protein contains 
gluten which is necessary for 
producing high-quality baked 
products.  Historically, protein 
premiums have been available in 
years when the overall U.S. wheat 
crop has contained relatively low 
protein levels. 
 
Wheat gluten is included in baked 
goods either through the use of 
high-protein wheat in flour 
production or as an additive 
during dough production.  Thus, 
wheat gluten additives are 
substitutes for high protein wheat.  
Wheat gluten additives are 
produced from wet wheat milling 
processes.  The competitiveness of 
the wheat gluten industry has 
changed in recent years.  In 
addition, the industry has been the 
subject of international trade 
rulings which have altered 
competitive strategies of U.S. 
producers.  Thus, understanding 
the wheat gluten industry is 
important for hard spring wheat 
producers because wheat gluten is 
a substitute for their products. 
This Briefing describes the wheat 
milling, flour, and baking 
industries as it relates to gluten 
production.  
 
The Wheat Production, Milling, 
and Baking Industries 
 
A typical bushel of wheat weighs 
60 pounds.  Three parts of a 
wheat kernel -- endosperm, bran, 
and germ -- are separated during 
dry milling processes.  The 
endosperm (50 pounds) is the 
source of white flour and contains 
the greatest proportions of 
protein, carbohydrates, iron, and 
major B-vitamins such as 
riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine.  
The bran (8.5 pounds) is included 
in whole wheat flour (or marketed 
separately) and contains a small 
proportion of protein, trace 
minerals, dietary fiber, and major 
B-vitamins.  Germ (1.5 pounds) is 
the embryo or sprouting section 
of the seed.  It has a high fat 
content (10 percent) that, if not 
separated from endosperm during 
flour production, causes dough to 
be unmanageable.   levels among wheat classes.  
Second, protein levels vary 
within each wheat class 
depending upon wheat variety.  
Third, weather plays a large role 
in determining protein content 
through its effects on kernel size 
and growth.  Relatively dry 
conditions reduces per acre yields 
but increase protein levels. 
 
In general, wheat breeders select 
varietal development strategies 
by balancing yield and disease 
tolerance characteristics.  These 
characteristics are more easily 
identifiable than milling 
characteristics.  In addition, their 
effects on farm revenues are 
more easily quantifiable because 
protein premiums vary annually 
based upon weather factors that 
determine the supply of high 
protein wheat.  Producers 
consider several factors in 
choosing the type of variety to 
plant but agronomic factors such 
as yield and drought tolerance are 
major factors (Boland, 
Dhuyvetter, and Howe). 
 
Milling 
 
After harvest, producers deliver 
wheat to grain elevators where it 
is aggregated and shipped to 
terminal elevators.  At terminal 
elevators, wheat is generally 
sorted, graded, and measured for 
protein.  Wheat is then marketed 
to flour millers.  Flour millers 
separate wheat into starch, bran, 
germ, and flour.  This process 
involves several steps.  First, 
wheat is cleaned and moistened.  
Then, it is sent through various 
pairs of rollers that break the 
kernels into fine particles and 
separate the bran and flour.  The 
particles are rolled and sifted 
until as much flour as possible is 
Wheat kernels are covered with 
bran coatings that contain the 
greatest amounts of fiber and 
protein.  A layer of aleurone, which 
also contains protein, lies under the 
bran.  The endosperm is composed 
of thin-walled starch cells.  Starch 
contains gluten particles that 
provide cohesiveness in dough. 
 
Although endosperm contains most 
wheat protein, its protein quality is 
lower than that in the bran and 
germ because it is less 
concentrated.  Approximately 80 
percent of protein is gluten.  Thus, 
as wheat protein levels increase, so 
does the amount of gluten. 
 
Production 
 
The wheat marketing chain 
consists of three distinct stages:  
production, milling, and baking.  
Wheat is produced on farms in 
most regions of the United States.  
The U.S. Department of 
Agriculture categorizes wheat into 
six classes:  durum, hard red 
winter, soft red winter, hard red 
spring, hard white, and soft white.  
All other wheat is described as 
‘unclassed’ wheat.  Mixtures of 
wheat classes are described as 
‘mixed’ wheat.  Hard red winter 
and spring wheat are primarily 
used for making bread.  Thus, 
bread producers are particularly 
interested in hard red winter and 
spring wheat protein levels. 
 
Protein levels determine wheat 
end-uses.  However, protein 
content depends upon several 
factors.  First, wheat class is a 
major determinant of protein 
levels.  Hard red wheat varieties 
typically have the highest protein 
levels among wheat classes.  
Conversely, soft wheat varieties 
tend to have the lowest protein 
created.  On average, 45 pounds 
of flour are milled from 50 
pounds of endosperm.  The 
remaining 5 pounds of 
endosperm is used as livestock 
feed. 
 
Baking 
 
Dough cohesiveness is largely 
determined by flour gluten 
levels.  Different levels of 
cohesiveness are needed to 
produce specialty products such 
as whole grain breads, cakes, 
and pastries.  Consequently, 
wheat protein levels partially 
determine end-use.  Because 
protein levels vary annually 
because of weather, bakers 
supplement flour with gluten to 
improve dough cohesiveness.  
Bakers purchase ingredients 
several months in advance of 
their needs to maintain 
processing efficiencies and 
reduce uncertainty of flour 
protein levels. 
 
Wheat Products from Wet 
Milling 
 
Dry flour milling processes 
produce flour that is composed 
of protein (primarily gluten) and 
starch.  Conversely, vital wheat 
gluten is produced using a wet 
milling process that fully 
separates starch and gluten 
(Boland, Domine, and Steigert).  
Wheat wet milling is a process 
in which flour is softened by 
soaking in warm water and an 
alkaline solution.  A series of 
screens is used to separate 
protein that is dried into a 
powder.  The protein is further 
separated into gluten and other 
specialty protein products.  
Approximately 80 percent of the 
protein is gluten. Several Canadian wheat 
breeders are considering 
functional characteristics of 
glutenin and gliadin in wheat 
breeding programs.  However, 
substantial improvements in 
gluten production from wheat 
breeding programs are not likely 
to occur soon. Consequently, no 
substitutes are available for vital 
wheat gluten other than the 
protein inherent in wheat.  
 
Starch 
 
Premium wheat starch and 
unique modified starches are 
used primarily as additives to 
improve the physical 
characteristics of food and 
industrial products.  Food 
products such as cakes, pastries, 
and frostings include starch to 
improve palatability and texture.  
Industrial products such as 
special laminates for carbonless 
paper, wallpaper paste, and 
adhesives, and lubricants in oil 
drilling operations have been 
developed from wheat starch.  
The food and industrial products 
industries’ demand for wheat 
starch is increasing slowly.  
Starch products are sold to firms 
such as Keebler, Pillsbury, and 
General Mills. 
 
Alcohol 
 
Wet wheat milling produces 
alcohol which has both food and 
industrial uses.  Wheat beverage 
alcohol typically is processed 
into vodka and gin.  Demand for 
alcohol in this segment is 
relatively stable.  Demand for 
industrial alcohol is increasing, 
but synthetic alcohol has a 
dominate share of this market. 
 
 
Gliadin, the smaller of the two 
molecules, is soluble in water and 
other liquids including alcohol, and 
is responsible for the viscous 
properties of wheat gluten.  These 
characteristics make it ideal for 
improving the texture of noodles and 
pasta as well as crackers, cookies, 
and food coatings.  Gliadin is also 
used in a number of cosmetics and 
personal care products.  The use of 
too much gliadin produces soft, 
overly expansive dough. 
 
Vital wheat gluten improves the 
texture, strength, shape, nutritional 
content, and volume of baked 
products.  The cohesiveness and 
elasticity of gluten enables bread 
dough to rise.  Vital wheat gluten is 
also added to white bread and 
hamburger bun dough to improve its 
strength and cohesiveness.  Vital 
wheat gluten is added to hot dog bun 
dough to provide greater hinge 
strength. 
 
Vital wheat gluten is a substitute for 
protein in wheat.  When wheat (and 
resulting flour) protein levels are 
low, bakers add vital wheat gluten to 
flour.  Conversely, if wheat protein 
levels are relatively high, bakers use 
little vital wheat gluten. 
 
Wheat gluten is used almost 
exclusively in food manufacturing.  
Gluten use in the food market 
segment has increased in recent 
years because of increasing demands 
for refrigerated and frozen dough 
products that require stronger and 
more flexible dough.  Most vital 
wheat gluten is used in bagels, 
hearth breads, and multigrain breads 
because it helps support the weight 
of ingredients such as raisins and 
nuts.  Wheat gluten is sold to cereal 
manufacturing and baking 
companies such as Kellogg Co., H.J. 
Heinz, and Interstate Bakeries.  
A starch slurry is formed after 
gluten and wheat proteins have 
been extracted from the flour.  
The slurry is further processed to 
extract premium wheat starch.  
Wheat starch is dried into powder 
and sold in packaged or bulk 
form.  The remaining slurry is 
mixed with water and either corn 
or sorghum, and enzymes are 
added to convert starch to 
glucose.  Yeast is added to 
ferment glucose from the slurry.  
The resulting product is called 
stillage.  Stillage is further 
separated into thin stillage and 
condensed distillers’ solubles by 
removing solids.  The residue of 
the distilling operation is dried 
and sold as a high protein additive 
for animal feed. 
 
Vital Wheat Gluten 
 
Vital wheat gluten is the only 
commercially available high 
protein food additive that has 
elastic characteristics when added 
to dough or otherwise 
reconstituted with water.  Gluten 
has a bland flavor and is able to 
absorb more than two times its 
weight in water.  Its elastic 
properties make it useful as an 
additive to baked products, 
breakfast cereals, and processed 
fish and meat products. 
Gluten’s unique characteristics 
result from two main proteins -- 
glutenin and gliadin.   
Glutenin is responsible for the 
elastic character of vital wheat 
gluten.  It increases the strength 
and toughness of bread dough, 
improves the freeze-thaw 
characteristics of frozen dough, 
and is used as a functional protein 
source in processed and 
restructured meat products.  The 
use of too much glutenin 
produces overly strong dough. References 
 
Boland, M.A., N. Domine, and 
K. Steigert.  “Midwest Grain 
Products: A Change in Strategy 
Due to Trade Issues.”  
International Food and 
Agribusiness Management 
Review 3(2000): 457-72. 
 
Boland, M.A., K. Dhuyvetter, 
and M. Howe.  “Economic 
Issues with Certified and Bin-
Run Wheat Seed.”  MF-2498, 
K-State Research and 
Extension publication, 2000. 
Summary 
 
Vital wheat gluten provides 
important characteristics to baked 
products and is included in dough 
production either by using high 
protein wheat flour or by adding 
it during dough production.  
Wheat classes and varieties 
within those classes produce 
contain different gluten levels.  
Gluten is also obtained from wet 
wheat milling processes along 
with starch, alcohol, livestock 
feed, and carbon dioxide. 
 
Demand for fuel alcohol (ethanol) 
is increasing because of regulatory 
policies banning the use of MTBE 
(methyl tertiary-butyl ether) as a 
fuel oxygenate.  Most ethanol is 
produced from corn.  The supply of 
fuel alcohol continues to expand 
faster than demand. 
Distillers’ feeds and carbon dioxide 
are the primary by-products 
obtained from alcohol production.  
Distillers’ feeds are fed to livestock, 
and carbon dioxide produced during 
the fermentation process is sold for 
industrial uses. 
 
The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, 
gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.  Issued in  
furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in  
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Douglas Steele, Vice Provost and Director, Extension  
Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717. 

An Overview of the Wheat Gluten Industry

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