Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How are wheat by-products such as bran and middlings used after flour milling?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cereal processing
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum).
After the milling of wheat into flour, the remaining by-productsâprimarily bran and middlingsâare utilized in several ways:
- Animal Feed: The most common use for these by-products is as a component of animal feeds. Often referred to as millfeed, these materials are valued for their nutritional content and are used to create balanced rations for livestock, including cattle, pigs, and poultry.12
- Human Consumption: Wheat bran is frequently processed for human use. In its coarse form, it is used as a source of dietary fiber, or roughage, in products such as breakfast cereal, breads, and muffins.3
- Nutritional Supplements: The wheat germ, which is separated during the milling process, is specifically utilized as a concentrated source of protein and vitamins.4
While modern milling aims to extract as much endosperm as possible for flour, these by-products remain essential components of the cereal processing industry, ensuring that the entire grain is utilized efficiently.567