Gluten in Wheat

The industrial and agricultural revolutions of the 200 years have changed human’s diet faster than human can change genetically. Today wheat crops have a higher gluten content – 50 percent higher than centuries ago for the purpose of improved bread making.

Wheat is the largest cereal crop grown in the world. Flour from wheat is almost unique in that protein forms a sticky rubbery mass when dehydrated and kneaded (mixed and worked). This known as gluten.


In Codex, wheat gluten can be defined as a food product produced by wet extraction from wheat or wheat four of certain non-protein constituent (starch, other carbohydrates), in a manner to achieve a protein content of 80% or more (N x 6.25) on a dry basis.

Gluten is the elastic protein in wheat, rye, and barley. This particular protein makes pizza crust chewy fills baguettes with those pockets of air and keeps puff pastries light and crunchy.

Gluten helps bread dough to rise by the retention of gas bubble and gives baked goods the familiar mouth feel that compels people to buy muffins in the middle of the afternoon.

Wheat gluten also has been used as a chewing gum base, in cosmetic products, such as mascara and in pharmaceutical tableting.

The gluten proteins can be classified into two groups based on their solubility in aqueous alcohol. Wheat gluten that are soluble in aqueous alcohol are gliadin and the insoluble fractions are the glutenin.

Glutenin proteins are responsible for the strength cohesion and elasticity of gluten while gliadin are responsible for viscosity and extensibility.
Gluten in Wheat