Consumer Preferences Change Wheat Flour Use
Gary Vocke
Jean C. Buzby
Hodan
Farah Wells
After 5 years of declining flour
use in the U.S., ERS estimates an increase in per
capita wheat flour use to 137.9 pounds in 2007,
up 2.3 pounds from a year earlier. The 2007 total
is still down 8.9 pounds from its high in 1997.
ERS calculates per capita use by dividing the total
annual availability by the U.S. population in the
same year. These per capita availability estimates
provide an indication of trends in Americans’ consumption
of various foods over time.
Between 1972 and 1997, U.S. wheat producers and
millers could count on rising per capita food use
of wheat flour to expand their domestic market.
Contributing to this growth was the boom in away-from-home
eating, the desire of consumers for greater variety
and more convenient food products, promotion of
wheat flour and pasta products by industry organizations,
and wider recognition of health benefits stemming
from eating high-fiber, grain-based foods.
The decades-long growth ended in 1997, as changing
consumer preferences, led by the increased adoption
of low-carbohydrate diets after 2000, reduced per
capita wheat consumption. Per capita flour use
dropped rapidly at first and then fell more slowly
until reaching a low of 134.2 pounds in 2005. In
response, the flour milling industry began to downsize,
leading to the closure of some smaller, older,
and less efficient mills. From 2000 to early 2006,
12 percent of the 223 mills listed in the industry
publication Grain and Milling
Annual closed, and
milling capacity fell by 7 percent.
The baking industry responded by developing products
to satisfy these new dietary preferences, particularly
the increased demand for higher fiber and protein.
According to Datamonitor, 558 wheat-flour products
were introduced in 2007—more than a fourfold
increase from the 97 new wheat-flour products that
hit the shelves in 1997. Eighty-six whole-wheat
flour products were introduced in 2007, up from
16 in 1997. These new product introductions appear
to be succeeding because per capita use bottomed
out and then rose sharply in 2007.
Despite the recent increase in per capita consumption
and new recommendation in the 2005 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans that whole grains should account
for half of all grains consumed, Americans still
favor refined-wheat flour products over whole-wheat
flour products. According to Milling & Baking
News, whole-wheat flour grew from 2.1 percent of
total flour production in 2002-03 to 4.1 percent
in 2006-07.
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