In the late 1900s, the introduction of steel roller mills revolutionized the process of flour making. This new technology allowed flour to be stored for much longer periods without spoiling, but unfortunately, it came at a nutritional cost. To achieve this extended shelf life, the bran and germ—the most nutritious parts of the grain—were removed, leading to significant health issues. Prior to this shift, women baked about 90% of the bread at home, but by 1930, commercial factories were producing 90% of the bread consumed.

Between 1906 and 1940, millions of American people fell ill and 100,00 lost their lives due to deficiencies in essential vitamins such as B1, B3, and iron. People ate white flour in huge amounts because it was cheap and easy to get. To address this health concern in 1940, the U.S. government made a law that all millers must add important vitamins back into flour. This is why you see "enriched" flour on labels today. However, these added nutrients were synthetic and didn’t fully restore the natural health benefits that the whole, ancient grains originally provided.