Utilization of Wheat for Food

Raw materials used in the food processing industry must have specific properties for specified end uses. As specialization of food processing increases and as new food products are developed, the raw materials used in producing these food products are less easily substituted. The following article illustrates how this trend affects wheat utilization. This has implications in agricultural policy, marketing, and research. A lack of recognition of product properties can lead to loss of export markets, reduced farm income, and a continued decline in per capita consumption of wheat products. Economists often are unaware of product properties. As a result, some food consumption data include food items within a group which require different agricultural raw materials. In this paper an attempt is made to separate wheat foods according to the types of wheat required to produce them. While this research relates to wheat utilization in the domestic market, it has significance to markets for other agricultural commodities as well as wheat exports.