Whole wheat flour

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant

Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Milled from wheat.

Gluten-freeNo

It contains gluten.

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoNo

Wheat flour is mostly starch.

Low-FODMAPNo

Wheat is high in fructans, so it is one of the first things cut on a low-FODMAP diet.

The short answer

Whole wheat flour is milled from the whole grain, so it keeps the bran and the germ. It is more nutritious than white flour and it contains gluten, which rules it out for celiac disease and for anyone avoiding wheat.

86/100

Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone

Comes fromPlant

What it doesFlour treatment agents

Glycemic index—

Daily limitNot set

Also calledWhole wheat flour, Wholemeal 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

Whole wheat flour is a food with no E-number, so it is outside the additive system. What applies instead is the standard for the flour itself, the allergen rules for wheat, and in some countries the requirement to declare whole grain status on the front of the pack.

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

What is it?

Refining strips the bran and the germ away and leaves the starchy endosperm, which is what makes white flour white and keeps it from going stale. Whole wheat keeps all three parts: the endosperm for the starch, the bran for fiber, and the germ for the oils and the vitamin E. The trade is that the oils in the germ oxidize, so whole wheat flour goes stale and can turn rancid faster than white flour does.

Where it comes from: Milled from the whole grain, so it keeps the bran and the germ as well as the endosperm. That is what makes it darker, heavier and more nutritious than white flour, and what makes it go rancid faster.

Why it’s in food

Bread
Pasta
Cakes
Crackers
Biscuits

Often found in

BreadPastaCrackersCakesPancakesPretzels

Also listed as: Whole wheat flour, Wholemeal flour, Wholegrain wheat flour, Graham flour, Whole wheat, Graham's flour

Health & gut impact

FiberBenefit

A cup of whole wheat flour carries about 4 grams of fiber against roughly 1.5 for white flour, and most diets fall well short of the recommended amount. The bran fraction is what delivers it.

EFSA, dietary reference values for carbohydrate and fiber (2011)

Glycaemic responseUnder study

Whole wheat flour usually has a lower glycaemic index than white flour, but the difference depends on the particle size and on how finely the grain is milled. Stone-milled flour digests faster than wholegrain flour that has been rolled.

EFSA, scientific opinion on the effects of the processing of wheat on the glycaemic response (2011)

Phytic acidUnder study

The bran carries phytic acid, which binds minerals such as iron and zinc and reduces how much of them is absorbed. Long fermentation and sourdough baking, which is why bread is traditionally leavened this way, break some of it down.

EFSA, scientific opinion on the effects of wheat bran (2015)

What can I use instead?

Oat flour

Ratio: Use the same weight, or a mix, and expect a denser crumb

Best for: Gluten-free baking

Rice flour

Ratio: Use the same weight; it needs more liquid

Best for: Gluten-free baking

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 safe Alpha-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 safe Azodicarbonamide (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 avoid BarleyBarley 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 whole wheat flour healthier than white flour?

It carries more fiber, more micronutrients and usually a lower glycaemic response, and the evidence for whole grains is among the better-established parts of nutrition. The swap is worth making if you are not gluten-sensitive, since the gluten is in both.

Is whole wheat flour gluten-free?

No. It is wheat, so it contains the full gluten content of the grain, and it is not suitable for celiac disease.

Why does whole wheat flour spoil faster?

Because the germ oils are still in it. Those oils oxidize over time, which is why whole wheat goes stale and can smell sour. Flour stored cool and frozen keeps much longer.

Is Whole wheat flour safe?

Generally safe (86/100). Whole wheat flour is a food with no E-number, so it is outside the additive system. What applies instead is the standard for the flour itself, the allergen rules for wheat, and in some countries the requirement to declare whole grain status on the front of the pack.

Is Whole wheat flour vegan?

Yes. Milled from wheat.

Is Whole wheat flour gluten-free?

No. It contains gluten.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

EFSA, dietary reference values for carbohydrate and fiber (2011)
EFSA, scientific opinion on the effects of the processing of wheat on the glycaemic response (2011)
EFSA, scientific opinion on the effects of wheat bran (2015)