Milling & Baking News - November 20, 2018 - 7

Editorial

Baker engagement as key to wheat quality

constructive tug of war is emerging over the quality has been the clean label trend, which has
future of milling and baking qualities in wheat. diminished bakers' ability to address flour functionalAny such discussion should begin with recogni- ity problems through the incorporation of additives.
tion of the growing importance of elevating wheat yields
A flashpoint for baker concerns about wheat quality
to sustain acreage. Harvested wheat area in 2017 and has been Everest, the most popular variety planted in
2018 of 37.5 million acres and 39.6 million acres, respec- Kansas the last few years. Widely embraced by growtively, were the smallest in the United States since 1895. ers because of its powerful disease resistance package,
Wheat acreage is subject to swings from one year to the Everest has baking and milling qualities characterized
next, but this nadir fits into a long-term trend in place as adequate under normal growing and market condisince the early 1980s, when U.S. wheat area peaked.
tions. Unfortunately, growing conditions were suboptiThe five-year average (2014-18) for wheat harvested mal in the 2016 and 2017 crop years, contributing to dearea was 42.9 million acres, down 40% from the record pressed protein content, surging cash wheat premiums
71.6 million in the 1980s (1980-84). It seems increas- and serious headaches for bakers like Mr. Wands. The
ingly unlikely the decline in wheat plantings will be problem was exacerbated by depressed wheat futures
arrested under any circumstances but certainly not if prices, which discouraged growers from adding nitrogrowers are asked to plant less
gen to their fields, a practice that
It seems increasingly unlikely the
productive wheat varieties.
would have lifted protein levels.
Meanwhile, wheat user conDavid G. Green, executive
decline in wheat plantings will be
cern about quality has come to
director of the Wheat Quality
arrested under any circumstances
the fore in recent weeks.
Council, said Everest is performbut certainly not if growers are
At the annual meeting of the
ing far better in 2018, as demonasked to plant less productive
North American Millers' Assostrated by lower cash wheat prewheat varieties.
ciation in October, Hayden L.
miums and a diminished reliance
Wands, vice-president of global procurement at Gru- on spring wheat in the mix used to produce commercial
po Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V., said certain wheat varieties bread and buns. He said new hard winter varieties have
currently under cultivation do not meet the needs of incorporated the disease resistance of Everest with enthe 21st century baking industry. Blaming poor com- hanced baking and milling qualities. He also emphasized
munication between bakers and wheat breeders (and the need to keep in mind the crucial importance for end
he was careful to emphasize that bakers in particular quality of factors beyond the variety, including weather
have failed to stay adequately engaged in the topic), and how much nitrogen growers choose to apply.
Mr. Wands said concerns about the baking qualities of
Grain-based foods veterans will recognize that pleas
wheat have become critical.
from millers and bakers for enhanced wheat quality
High-speed production lines have been a central go back decades. Progress now will take sustained enpart of making commercial baking plants more effi- gagement from the entire grain supply chain and a reccient over the past generation, but the performance ognition of the importance of increasing wheat yields
of such lines is ever more dependent on the function- and monetary incentives for growers who plant variality of flour milled from consistent, good quality eties with superior baking and milling qualities. The
wheat. Emphasizing this point, Mr. Wands said the industry could not ask for better pied pipers for this
industry is moving to production lines baking up to cause than Mr. Wands and Mr. Green, both of whom
150 loaves a minute, up from 70 loaves in the not too have rich experience across different facets of the milldistant past. The baking industry's shift from a focus ing, baking and grain industries. Knowing the checkon standard white bread and toward a more diverse ered history of progress in the past, the potential for
mix of specialty bread varieties adds to the pressure. such a cooperative endeavor to gain and keep momenStill another dimension intensifying concerns about tum is genuinely an exciting prospect. MBN
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