My diet:

Wheat flour

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant
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Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Wheat flour is a grain.

Gluten-freeNo

Wheat flour contains gluten.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Wheat flour is mostly starch.

Low-FODMAPNo

Fructans are why a low-FODMAP diet skips wheat flour.

The short answer
Wheat flour is ground wheat. It contains gluten, so it is not gluten-free, not keto, and not low-FODMAP. It is vegan. White flour raises blood sugar in the same range as the enriched flour already on this site.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFlour treatment agents
Glycemic index71
Daily limitNot set
Also calledWheat flour, White flour

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Wheat flour is a staple food, not an E-number. Enriched flour is this same flour with specified B vitamins and iron added back. Europe does not use the American enrichment recipe, so a French farine de blé is not the US enriched standard.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Millers crack the grain and sift the white endosperm away from the bran. Protein percentage is what makes bread flour stronger than cake flour. Bleaching is a separate step, and unbleached flour skips it.

Where it comes from: Wheat flour is the ground endosperm of the wheat kernel, and often some of the bran and germ depending on the extraction. All-purpose, bread and pastry flours are wheat. Whole-wheat flour keeps the bran.

Why it’s in food

  • Builds bread
  • Thickens a roux
  • Breads cutlets
  • Feeds a starter

Often found in

BreadPastaCookiesTortillasGravyBatter

Also listed as: Wheat flour, White flour, All-purpose flour, All purpose flour, Bread flour, Plain flour, Unbleached flour, Pastry flour, Self-rising flour, Self raising flour

Health & gut impact

Gluten and fructansConcern

The proteins that make dough stretch are gluten. The carbohydrates that bother a sensitive gut are fructans. Both are native to the wheat kernel.

Celiac disease and the Monash FODMAP classification of wheat

Blood sugar of white flourConcern

Sifted wheat flour is digested about as fast as the enriched white flour measured at a glycemic index of 71. Whole-wheat flour is slower because the bran is still there.

Glycemic index of white wheat bread and flour

What can I use instead?

Oat flour

Ratio: A whole-grain flour when gluten is the problem and the oats are certified

Best for: Pancakes

Rice flour

Ratio: A gluten-free flour for sauces and cakes

Best for: Gluten-free baking

Related

More flour treatment agents:

Almond flourAlmond flour is ground almonds. Almond flour is vegan, and the nut itself contains no gluten. It is one of the few baking flours that fits a keto pattern. Large servings are high FODMAP because almonds are.Generally safeAlpha-amylaseAlpha-amylase is the enzyme that clips starch so bread can rise and brown. Baked goods often list it only as enzymes. Fungal amylase is gluten-free. Amylase from barley malt is not.Generally safeAzodicarbonamide (ADA) E927aAzodicarbonamide (ADA, E927a) is a dough conditioner that's banned in the EU but still legal in US bread. Baking turns some of it into semicarbazide, a possible carcinogen, so it's one to avoid.Best to avoidBarleyBarley is a gluten grain with a low glycemic index when it is eaten as the whole or pearled berry. The barley berry fails a gluten-free diet, a keto diet and a low-FODMAP diet. It is vegan. Sprouted barley is the start of malt, which is a different ingredient line.Generally safe

Common questions

Is all-purpose flour the same as wheat flour?

Yes. All-purpose, bread, pastry and plain flour are wheat unless the label names another grain.

Is unbleached flour gluten-free?

No. Bleaching changes the color. It does not remove gluten.

Is Wheat flour safe?

Use in moderation (68/100). Wheat flour is a staple food, not an E-number. Enriched flour is this same flour with specified B vitamins and iron added back. Europe does not use the American enrichment recipe, so a French farine de blé is not the US enriched standard.

Is Wheat flour vegan?

Yes. Wheat flour is a grain.

Is Wheat flour gluten-free?

No. Wheat flour contains gluten.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Celiac disease and the Monash FODMAP classification of wheat
  • Glycemic index of white wheat bread and flour