PRODUCT INFORMATION
European & Italian Flour Production
Today’s European milling industry combines traditional skills with advanced modern technology
Approximately 47 million tons of rye and soft wheat are processed each year, with more than 3,800 companies employing 45,000 people. The EU flour milling sector is the single largest consumer of domestic wheat, rye, and oat, resulting in 600 various types of flour, which meets the high standards and unique demands of the consumer.
what sets the EU flour apart
The EU flour milling industry produces the highest quality of flours and boasts of the following
low use of natural resources
use of biomass for sustainable energy production
reduction of emissions
productive use of by-products & zero product losses
Safety & Quality
Safety and quality are of the utmost importance, and European standards have always been extremely high. Maintaining this level of excellence is a constant challenge that the milling industry takes very seriously.
The grinding process operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as the high-quality grain needs to be in continuous supply.
EU Flour Milling Sector
In the EU, 29% of the flours produced are destined for industrial bakeries, 28% for artisan bakeries, 13% for cakes, biscuits and rusks, 12% for supermarket bakeries, 12% for household use and 6% for other uses and export.
The entire flour-milling sector is coordinated across the EU to meet the high regulatory requirements and standards that ensure product quality for consumers.
Italy leads the European milling sector, with 233 mills producing over 4 million tonnes of flour per year. The flours used in Italy are produced almost exclusively in Italy. From the milling of soft wheat and durum wheat, the Italian milling industry plays a significant role in the national wheat supply chain – for both flours and semolina. The iconic symbols of Italian food, such as bread, pasta, and pizza, are the core ingredients of ‘Made in Italy’. They are not only highly valued as a component of the Mediterranean diet, but they also serve as the basis for traditional Italian cakes and pastries, which are not the same when made with other flours. In Italy, 61 percent of flour is used to make bread and bread substitutes such as crisp taralli or grissini/breadsticks, 18 percent for the cake and biscuit industry, 9 percent for pizza production, 5% for household use, and 7% for others and exports. There is an increasing demand by health-conscious consumers in Italy for products using organic or whole wheat flour and innovative products, and, to a lesser extent, for products using regional or local wheat as a raw material. Additionally, over the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in exports of Italian soft wheat flour. The volume has increased by 350% in the decade after 2010 to reach around 220,000 tons. Europe accounts for 70% of total exports, followed by North America (14%), Asia (7%), and Oceania (7%). Over the last decade, the export of Italian flour to India has increased by 560 percent.
