A perfect pie crust is often the measure of a top quality baker. The “blue ribbon” pie crust is light and flaky. Even the best baker’s skills, however, depend on the quality of the ingredients. The quality of flour is based on the quality of the wheat – and measuring the quality of the wheat is a key responsibility of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS).
FGIS and the Official Service Providers it supervises conduct Falling Number tests as a measure of wheat quality. Scientists and technicians at FGIS’s National Grain Center will soon begin a quality assurance program to monitor these tests and verify the original results to ensure that any procedural issues that could possibly impact the results of these important tests are quickly
addressed. FGIS will monitor a percentage of all tests performed throughout the Official testing system. Last year, over 25,000 Falling Number tests were performed on wheat targeted for sale domestically and abroad.
