Barley flour
Barley flour suppliers and sourcing guide
Barley flour is milled from barley grain (Hordeum vulgare). Hulled barley is dehulled or pearled to remove the tough outer hull, and the grain is ground either whole, as whole-grain barley flour with its bran and germ, or from pearled kernels for a lighter flour; hulless varieties can be milled without pearling. Brands buy it for breads, flatbreads, crackers and cereals, often blended with wheat flour because barley dough is weak on its own.
- Category
- Food staples and powders
- Also known as
- Hordeum vulgare flour · Whole grain barley flour · Pearled barley flour · Hulless barley flour
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of barley flour
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Whole-grain
Milled from dehulled or hulless whole kernels, keeping bran and germ.
Pearled or refined
Milled from pearled barley with less bran; lighter in color and flavor.
Hulless barley flour
From varieties whose hull falls away at threshing, milled whole without pearling.
Heat-treated or kilned
Flour from heat-treated grain, which inactivates enzymes and lengthens shelf life.
Organic
Flour from certified organic barley.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Moisture
- Oven moisture (for example AACC 44-15.02).
- Ash and protein
- Ash shows how much bran is present; protein by Kjeldahl or Dumas.
- Beta-glucan
- Beta-glucan by enzymatic method (for example AOAC 995.16) when the specification or label depends on it.
- Mycotoxins
- Deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) and other mycotoxins by ELISA or LC-MS/MS.
- Microbiology
- Total plate count, yeast and mold, coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella; flour is a raw ingredient and should be cooked before eating.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Store barley flour sealed in a cool, dry area off the floor with pest control in place. Whole-grain flour contains germ oil and turns stale or rancid faster than refined flour unless it was heat-treated. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification.
Lots and expiry dates
Ash, protein and color vary with variety, crop year and degree of pearling. Record these with the mycotoxin result for each lot and rotate whole-grain flour first-in, first-out.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
USDA's Commercial Item Description A-A-20126H for cereal grain flours lists barley flour as one of its flour types.
Source: ams.usda.gov (opens in a new tab)The same CID states that flours are not ready-to-eat foods and must be properly cooked before they are safe to eat.
Source: ams.usda.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 101.91 defines barley, including any species of the genus Hordeum, as a gluten-containing grain for gluten-free labeling.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Hordeum vulgare (POL-NF-00409) covers seed, grains, malt, juice and juice powder from leaves (grass), with the status NOT_NOVEL_IN_FOOD.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Barley flour suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking barley flour suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell barley flour? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of barley flour can brands buy?
Common forms include whole-grain, pearled or refined, hulless barley flour, heat-treated or kilned and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for barley flour include?
Expect moisture, ash and protein, beta-glucan, mycotoxins and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should barley flour be stored?
Store barley flour sealed in a cool, dry area off the floor with pest control in place. Whole-grain flour contains germ oil and turns stale or rancid faster than refined flour unless it was heat-treated. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification.
What is the regulatory status of barley flour?
USDA's Commercial Item Description A-A-20126H for cereal grain flours lists barley flour as one of its flour types. The same CID states that flours are not ready-to-eat foods and must be properly cooked before they are safe to eat. 21 CFR 101.91 defines barley, including any species of the genus Hordeum, as a gluten-containing grain for gluten-free labeling. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Hordeum vulgare (POL-NF-00409) covers seed, grains, malt, juice and juice powder from leaves (grass), with the status NOT_NOVEL_IN_FOOD.
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