Should I avoid wheat flour? A veteran with 20 years of experience working at a flour mill explains the unknown truth about wheat flour!

I have been living without wheat flour for many years. One of the reasons is that I am gluten intolerant, but more than that, there was an incident that made me feel strongly that even people who don't have a problem with gluten should avoid wheat flour.

Leaving aside the effects of gluten itself for now, I would like to introduce the contents of a blog post that was posted just recently (February 12, 2025) to explain why I avoid wheat so much.

A story shared by the director of a Kobe-based internal medicine and psychiatry clinic

The article I'm going to cover is a blog by Dr. Atsushi Nakamura , director of Nakamura Clinic, an internal medicine and psychiatry clinic in Kobe. In an article written on February 12, 2025, Dr. Nakamura shared the testimony of a patient (hereinafter, Mr. A) who works at a flour milling company , and the content was quite shocking.

Mr. A is a veteran employee who has worked at the flour mill for over 20 years. He is not at all "anti-company" and is rather proud of the company he works for. However, Mr. A clearly stated that "wheat is not good for your health."

The unknown truth about flour production

I had a vague idea of this, but what Mr. A from the flour milling company told me was far beyond my imagination.

Serious problems at the raw materials stage

The biggest problem with modern wheat cultivation is the excessive use of chemical processing in the pursuit of efficiency.

The wheat that is procured as the raw material for making flour contains all sorts of impurities, such as pesticides, herbicides, insects, foreign objects, etc. Furthermore, in order to emphasize efficiency, herbicides are sprayed before harvesting to kill the wheat before harvesting, which inevitably increases the amount of residual herbicides.

In recent years, this trend has only gotten stronger. The amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers used has been increasing year by year, and compared to 20 years ago when Mr. A started working, the amount used has increased dramatically.

Even more serious is the situation with imported wheat. Wheat imported from the United States and Canada is treated with such strong insect repellent that insects die instantly if they enter the bag. This wheat is mainly sold wholesale to major manufacturers and is used as an ingredient in the bread, noodles, and sweets that we eat every day.

Additional chemical treatment during transport and storage

Problems with wheat do not end at the time of harvest. On board the ship transporting it from overseas to Japan, regular spraying of insecticides is carried out to prevent insect damage. It is not difficult to imagine that exposure to concentrated insecticides in an enclosed space would have a further impact on the quality of the wheat.

After being transported to the flour mill, the flour is fumigated with methyl bromide . Methyl bromide is highly toxic! But Mr. A says that "our company is still better than the others." He has completely lost his ability to think. Better than the others...? Bitter smile

Contradictions Hiding Behind "Safety and Security"

Nevertheless, Mr. A also complains about the dilemma he faces on the job, in that he feels he has to do things a certain way.

Distortion of quality control brought about by the social media era

In today's social media society, insect contamination of products is a fatal risk for companies. Just one report of insect contamination can spread across social media and instantly destroy a company's image.

Consumers want "safety and security," but at the same time they demand that "no insects will ever appear." However, these two demands are inherently contradictory.

In a natural environment, wheat is bound to have insects. So is rice! That's what happened in the old rice chests, isn't it? To completely prevent this, strong chemical treatment is inevitably required .

In order to meet these contradictory demands, companies have no choice but to choose perfect insect control measures through excessive use of chemicals, with the priority being placed on avoiding immediate reputational damage over the impact on consumer health.

The "health food" trap: The surprising truth about whole wheat flour

Even more shocking are the warnings about supposedly healthy whole wheat flour, bran and whole wheat flour - ironically, the foods Ms A warns us we need to be most careful about.

The outer husk of wheat is the part that is most likely to accumulate pesticides and harmful substances in the environment. Regular wheat flour is produced by removing this part, but whole wheat flour actively uses this part instead. Therefore, although it is certainly highly nutritious, it also has the highest amount of chemical residues.

The industry's struggles: Caught between conscience and reality

Mr. A points out that "the more conscientious a company is, the more they are caught in the middle." Many companies are trying to reduce the number of fumigations and the use of pesticides, but it is extremely difficult to achieve this while also maintaining quality control.

In fact, although there have been proposals to reduce fumigation at Mr. A's company, he is hesitant to do so due to the risk of insect contamination. Given the risk of a social media backlash, this may be a natural decision.

That's why people who know the situation are afraid to eat wheat!

What's interesting is that many of those with inside knowledge of the industry are abstaining from consuming their own products.

Apparently, the workers at the flour mill also rarely eat bread. This is probably because they know the manufacturing process. When you hear this, you might want to warn your family members, even if they can tolerate wheat, to be careful.

"It may be true that gluten is bad for the body, but more than that, it's full of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fumigation. It's a 'mass of poison' that's so overloaded, I don't think it deserves to be called a food ingredient," Mr. A stated firmly.

Furthermore, Mr. A says that the rumor that the president of a major bread manufacturer does not eat his own products "makes sense." Every company has to use some kind of chemical to prevent insects and mold, and the amount and quality of the chemicals used varies. Unfortunately, the reality is that they have no choice but to take advantage of consumers' ignorance.

Practical solutions: Reduce wheat flour intake

From my experience, a life without wheat flour is not difficult at all. Rather, it can be an opportunity to encounter new ingredients and enjoy being creative with your cooking.

Gluten-free products using rice flour, buckwheat flour, etc. have been rapidly evolving in recent years. Many foods that traditionally used wheat flour, such as bread, noodles, and sweets, can now be made with these substitutes.

Furthermore, Japan has a traditional food culture centered on rice, so by returning to a diet based on Japanese food, you can naturally reduce your intake of wheat flour.

Read this story: Our Commitment to the Future

I have been following a wheat-free diet for many years, and I would like to continue doing so in the future. After hearing Mr. A's testimony, I reaffirmed my awareness that I should avoid wheat after all.

In our store, we do not sell any products that contain wheat. This is because I personally cannot eat wheat.

However, some soy sauces contain wheat, but because they have been fermented there is almost no gluten in them, and they are the only ones I can eat. Furthermore, we only purchase products that use domestic wheat, so you can use them with peace of mind.

Of course, there is no right or wrong diet, and each person's body responds differently. However, if you take a look at your physical condition and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?", I think your daily choices and health management will change significantly.

Conclusion: For a healthy future

Of course, how much you believe this information is up to you. Wheat products made by major manufacturers are cheap, so they're probably good for your household budget.

However, if I were to become ill as a result, I believe the loss would be far greater, not just in terms of medical expenses, but also in the time it takes to travel to hospital and the impact on my work.

It is certainly difficult to completely avoid wheat flour in modern society, but by gradually reducing your intake as much as possible, you can definitely reduce the burden on your body.

I hope that this insider information about flour mills will inspire you to reconsider your diet. The first step to a healthy life is for each of us to choose ingredients that suit our bodies and reconsider our diet.

We will continue to propose wheat-free foods and provide safe and healthy dietary options to more people. Why not start choosing foods that make your body happy?