# Why is refined wheat cheaper than whole wheat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808 "2005-12-15T21:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/1 "2005-12-15T21:16:42Z")
You’d assume the extra step in the process would add cost to the development, not remove cost. However whole wheat is about two to four times more expensive than refined wheat. Is it just bulk purchases of refined wheat causing lower prices? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/2 "2005-12-15T21:47:45Z")
Yep. Supply and demand all the way. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/3 "2005-12-15T22:04:48Z")
I think that bleached flour stays fresh longer than unprocessed flour; that may also have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/4 "2005-12-15T22:09:29Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > . . . whole wheat is about two to four times more expensive than refined wheat. . . Really? I just looked up the price of white flour vs. whole wheat flour in [The Baker’s Catalogue](http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/KA_Signature_Flours.html). Five pounds of all-purpose flour is $3.25, while five pounds of whole wheat flour is $3.50 - almost the same price. There are things that control the price of a product other than the cost of producing it. There’s a higher demand for white flour than for whole wheat, which tends to drive up the relative price of white flour. On the other hand, the bran left over from refining wheat flour can be sold, which tends to hold down the price of white flour. The higher demand for white flour leads to greater production, which means a greater economy of scale and lower prices. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/5 "2005-12-16T00:44:54Z")
Whole Wheat flour contains a higher proportion of fat so it goes rancid easier. This means that its more constly to store, there is more waste and it’s impossible to stockpile unless you freeze it. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/6 "2005-12-16T00:55:59Z")
At the grocery down the block, a five pound bag of whole wheat flour is only about twenty cents more than the AP. A price differential to be sure, but nothing on the order of two-to-four times. As for why the margin, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_grains) cites the greater chance for rancidity as complicating storage and transport. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/7 "2005-12-16T01:00:53Z")
I think I’d be right in saying that the sales volume for white flour is considerably larger than that of wholemeal, so there’s bound to be an economy of scale factor too. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-refined-wheat-cheaper-than-whole-wheat/335808/8 "2005-12-16T01:13:15Z")
Also what is the value of the stuff refined out? That could be the expensive stuff, actually I would wag it is as refined wheat is really used because it is cheap.