Glossary

Extraction Rate

While the word Extraction implies something that has been removed or taken away, in milling terms it actually refers to how much has been left in. How much of the wheat berry has been extracted to make the flour? Whole wheat or whole grain flour is 100% extraction. With the integration of more regional and smaller mills, we may begin to see more flour labels making reference to their extraction rates. Common categories, such as High Extraction, are not regulated, so only a direct dialogue with the miller will provide insight as to what they determine to be high, medium or low extraction rates.