Rationalization of the wheat flour milling process using the eight-roller mill on the front passages of the reduction system has been investigated. At the same roll gaps and same sieving conditions, a lower flour yield and a higher energy requirements for grinding have been obtained using an eight-roller mill compared to a conventional one. With appropriate adjustment of the roll gap and sieving conditions in the process with the eight-roller mill, it is possible to achieve similar milling results to those obtained with a conventional mill, while the investment costs and overall energy requirements are significantly lower. This justifies the use of the eight-roller mill on the front passages of the reduction system. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.