Defining Whole Grains

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Defining Whole Grains Whole Grain Foodsin the
US and elsewhere
Cynthia Harriman Director of Food Nutrition
Strategies Oldways the Whole Grains
Council April 16, 2015 Savannah GA
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The Whole Grains Council

• An international program from non-profit
  educational organization Oldways that
• Helps consumers find whole grain products and
  understand their benefits.
• Helps manufacturers and restaurants make more,
  and better, whole grain products.
• Helps the media create accurate and compelling
  stories about whole grains.

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The Whole Grains Council

• 385 companies based in 21countries
• Scientific advisors
• Culinary advisors

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Todays Presentation
What is a Whole Grain? Widespread agreement on
ingredients (but were not done here!) What is a
Whole Grain Food? Common approaches and
challenges to defining a whole grain food
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What is a Whole Grain?
Whole grains contain all the essential parts and
naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain
seed
Source AACCI 1999, WGC 2004, FDA 2006
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What is a Whole Grain?
If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked,
crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the
food product should contain all of the bran,
germ, and endosperm in their original
proportions, and deliver the same of nutrients
that are found in the original grain seed.
Source AACCI 1999, WGC 2004, FDA 2006
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List of Whole Grains
The following, when consumed in a form including
the endosperm bran, and germ, are commonly
accepted whole grain foods and flours Amaranth
Barley Buckwheat Corn, including
whole cornmeal popcorn Millet Oats,
including oatmeal Quinoa Rice, both brown
rice and colored rice Rye Sorghum Teff
Triticale (a wheat/rye hybrid) Wild rice
Wheat, including varieties such as spelt,
emmer, farro, einkorn, Kamut, durum and forms
such as bulgur, cracked wheat and
wheatberries As per FDA, AACCI, WGC All cereal
grains from the poaceae family 3
pseudo-cereals. Flax, chia, hemp, soy, etc.
are not whole grains.
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HealthGrain Difference 1
Small losses of components that is, less than
2 of the grain / 10 of the bran that occur
through processing methods consistent with safety
and quality are allowed.
This option is included because mycotoxins,
agrochemicals, microbial contaminants tend to be
concentrated in the very outer pericarp layer
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HealthGrain Difference 2
Recombination of milling streams both in the
mill and by producers is specifically allowed.
Some fluctuations in the ratio of bran, germ,
endosperm are okay, as long as there are no
significant nutritional losses and differences
are no greater than normally found from season to
season or between varieties.
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Still up in the air in the U.S.
Reconstitution recombination by producers
at the mixing bowl Minimal losses including
from nixtamalization scarification Definition
of Sprouted Grains
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Canadian Whole Wheat Flour
Its important to note that in Canada, whole
wheat flour can legally be missing up to 5 of
the original kernel. To differentiate, you will
see whole grain whole wheat flour used on
labels where all of the bran, germ and endosperm
are present even though this would be redundant
in the U.S.
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What is a Whole Grain Food?

• Important for consumer communications
• Important for research standards
• Important for expanding market options

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What is a Whole Grain Food?

• Different definitions in every country
• Fairly easy for 100 foods but then it gets
  tricky!
• Three main approaches

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Defining a Whole Grain Food
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Defining a Whole Grain Food

• Examples from the U.S.
• 51 or more of total weight is whole grain (FDA
  for Whole Grain Health Claim)
• 50 or more of the grain is whole grain (USDA
  Whole Grain Rich for schools)
• 51 or more of the grain is whole grain AND 8g
  or more of whole grain / serving and / RACC(USDA
  FSIS for products containing meat or poultry)

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Defining a Whole Grain Food
whole grain ( of drymatter)
Scandinavian Keyhole System (2015 update 2016
final) 100 Flour, grains (e.g. rice) 55 RTE
cold cereal, hot cereal (GF 20) 50 crackers,
crispbreads (GF 15) 50 pasta (no GF
requirement for wg) 35 rye bread 30 bread
(GF 10) Plus minimum fiber, max sodium, fat,
sugar
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Defining a Whole Grain Food
whole grain ( of drymatter)
Denmark (Danish Wholegrain Campaign) 100
Flour, grains (e.g. rice) 70 Hot cereal /
porridge 60 Crispbread, pasta 50 Bread Same
fiber, fat, sugar, sodium as Keyhole except rice
(fiber exception)Requirements may soon change
with Keyhole changes.
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Defining a Whole Grain Food
whole grain
Germany (Federal Ministry of Food Agriculture,
1993) 90 of flour must be whole grain wheat
and/or rye flour to use the name
Vollkornbrot) Netherlands (Secretary of Public
Health, Welfare Sport, 1998 )100 of flour
must be whole grain for bread to be labeled 100
whole grain.
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Defining a Whole Grain Food
whole grain
France (Assn of Biscuit Manufacturers)Source of
whole grain15-40 of total weight must be whole
grain Rich in whole graingt40 of total weight
must be whole grain (Products should contain 40
cereals, 35 energy from fat, 35 sat fat, no
transfats, lt40 total sugars)
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Defining a Whole Grain Food

• 100 of total weight is whole grain (Canada
  CFIA all ingredients must be whole grain)
• 100 of the grain is whole grain (USA FDA
  Draft Guidance of Feb 2006)
• Would consumers understand that a bread (in
  Canada) labeled 56 whole grain could be a loaf
  made without any refined grain?

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Defining a Whole Grain Food
grams whole grain / serving

• Examples from the U.S.
• 8g or more of whole grain per serving
• (Whole Grains Council, Basic Stamp)
• 8g or more of whole grain per oz. eq.(US 2010
  Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA Whole
  Grain Rich for schools)
• 51 or more of the grain is whole grain AND 8g
  or more of whole grain / serving and / RACC(USDA
  FSIS for products containing meat or poultry)

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Defining a Whole Grain Food
grams whole grain / serving
UK (IGD grocers association) 8g of whole grain
per serving Australia (Grains Legumes Nutrition
Council) 8g of wg per serving Contains
wg16g of wg per serving High in wg24g of
wg per serving Very high in wgClaims not
allowed on snacks, sweets.
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Defining a Whole Grain Food
First Ingredient

• Examples from the U.S.
• First ingredient must be a whole grain(USDA WIC
  Women, Infants, Children program)
• First ingredient must be a whole grain(USDA
  Whole Grain Rich for schools for grain foods)
• First grain ingredient must be a whole
  grain(USDA Whole Grain Rich for schools for
  mixed foods)

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Key Definitions Whole Grain Rich

• Must qualify as a grain serving / oz eq PLUS one
  of these three requirements
• 8g wg per oz eq (Plain grains, pasta, RTE
  cereals 50 grain is whole grain)
• Must qualify for FDA WG Health Claim (51 of the
  total weight is wg, etc.)
• First ingredient is a whole grain (except water
  total of all wg counts first grain ingredient is
  wg for mixed foods

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Key Definitions USDA/FSIS

• For foods containing meat or poultry that fall
  under the review of USDA/FSIS
• 8g wg per labeled serving AND per RACC
• At least 51 of the grain must be whole grain

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Different numbers on every product.Guarantee a
half serving or more of whole grain.
Key Definitions Whole Grain Stamp
Basic Stamp Mix of whole refined grains OK at
least 8g (1/2 serving) of whole grain
100 Stamp NO refined grain AND at least 16g (1
serving) of whole grain
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Defining a Whole Grain Food
May 2013 AACCI Whole Grain Characterization
8 grams of whole grain per 30g of product Well
intentioned effort to achieve international
standardization, but on closer examination has
serious limitations, as weve detailed to FDA.
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Defining a Whole Grain Food

• Drawbacks of the
• AACCI Whole Grain Characterization
• Foods in 4 categories would likely not qualify
  even if most or all of their grains are whole
  grains.
• Many foods containing more refined grain than
  whole grain would qualify as whole grain foods
  which could mislead consumers.
• Moist foods, such as breads and bagels, are held
  to a higher standard than dry foods like
  crackers, pasta and RTE cereal.

See WGC comments to FDA at http//wholegrainscounc
il.org/files/WGCtoFDAJan2014.pdf
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WGCs Recommendation to FDA

• 100 whole grain foodswhen all grain is wg at
  least 16g wg/serving
• 2. Whole grain foods (mostly whole grain) 50
  of grain is wg at least 8g wg/serving
• 3. Foods contributing whole grains at least 8g
  wg/serving no whole grain name

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Thank You!
Cynthia Harriman cynthia_at_oldwayspt.org www.WholeGr
ainsCouncil.org