Flour family

Soft-wheat flours are sold for general family use, as biscuit or cake flours, and for the commercial production of crackers, pretzels, cakes, cookies, and pastry. The protein in soft wheat flour mns from 7 to 10%. There are differences in appearance, texture, and absorption capacity between hard- and soft-wheat flour subjected to the same milling procedures. Hard-wheat flour falls into separate particles if shaken in the hand whereas, soft-wheat flour tends to clump and hold its shape if pressed together. Hard-wheat flour feels slightly coarse and granular when mbbed between the fingers soft-wheat flour feels soft and smooth. Hard-wheat flour absorbs more Hquid than does soft-wheat flour. Consequently, many recipes recommend a variable measure of either flour or Hquid to achieve a desired consistency. 

Certain cereal grains, especiaUy wheat and rye, contain hemicelluloselike arabinoxylans [9040-27-1], commonly caUed pentosans. Wheat flour pentosans are divided into two types water-soluble and water-insoluble arabinoxylans, which respectively constitute - 1.1 1.6% and 0.4—0.7% of the total flour. These polysaccharides have functional roles in dough development and baking performance. The water-soluble wheat-flour arabinoxylans consist of a (1 — 4)-linked chain of P-D-xylopyranosyl units substituted at 0-2 and/or 0-3 with single-unit a-L-arabinofuranosyl units. Preparations from each source consist of a family of molecules of various molecular weights and xyl ara ratios. 

Fungus beetles, another family that feeds upon decomposed flour and other cereal products, are brought into the plant in ingredient containers or they may fly in. 

Com (Zea mays L.) is a leading cereal crop in the United States and is also referred to as maize. Com is classified in the tribe Maydeae of the Gramineae or grass family. The com plant may have developed from teosinte, a wild grass found in Mexico and Guatemala. The oldest evidence of com found in South America dates back to about 1000 BC and in North America to at least 2000 BC. Com was a major food and daily bread of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas of Central and South America. Spaniards who came with Christopher Columbus and were sent to explore the interior of Cuba in 1492 returned with a report of a sort of grain they call maize which was well tasted, baked, dried, and made into flour (Wallace and Brown, 1956). 

The lead (II) ion also is toxic to fishes and plants. In a recent report on lead poisoning, an adult was hospitalized due to severe anemia and other health-related problems. A high lead-blood concentration was found in all the family members. Subsequently, it was discovered that the family was eating flour contaminated with a high level of lead (38.7 mg/g). 

Armentia, A., Sanchez-Monge, R., Gomez, L., Barber, D., Salcedo, G. 1993. In vivo allergenic activities of eleven purified members of a major allergen family from wheat and barley flour. Clin Exp Allergy 23 410-415. 

Protection Offered You can use potato starch dextrin to control aphids, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies. It also controls powdery mildew on cucumbers. Other uses will likely be recommended once a commercial product reaches the market. Flour is a good control for larger pests like imported cabbage-worms and loopers on cabbage family crops. 

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