British Wheat

Wheat is a cereal grain that is a staple food worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America. In the UK, it is grown extensively and milled into flour, which is then used in a vast array of food products. Varieties include common or bread wheat, durum wheat, spelt, and khorasan wheat.

Wheat flour is a fundamental ingredient in baking, providing structure and texture to bread, biscuits, cakes, and pastries. It is also used in breakfast cereals, pasta, and as a thickening agent in sauces and soups. Its versatility and relatively low cost make it a ubiquitous ingredient in the food industry.

Wheat is a source of carbohydrates, fibre, and various micronutrients. Wholewheat varieties, in particular, are recognised for their fibre content, which is associated with digestive health. Regulatory bodies like the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) consider wheat a common foodstuff. While wheat is a source of gluten, which can cause adverse reactions in individuals with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, it is not considered an additive and therefore does not have an E-number or specific safety evaluations from bodies like EFSA in the same way as food additives.