Transcript Document

Defining Whole Grains
& Whole Grain Foods
in the US and elsewhere
Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food & Nutrition Strategies
Oldways & the Whole Grains Council
April 16, 2015 • Savannah GA
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council
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.
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council
The Whole Grains Council
• 385 companies
based in 21countries
• Scientific advisors
• Culinary advisors
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council
Today’s Presentation
What is a Whole Grain?
Widespread agreement on ingredients
(but we’re not done here!)
What is a Whole Grain Food?
Common approaches – and challenges –
to defining a whole grain food
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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
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…
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
Canadian Whole Wheat Flour
It’s 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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Whole Grains Council
What is a Whole Grain Food?
• Important for consumer communications
• Important for research standards
• Important for expanding market options
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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
Defining a Whole Grain Food
% whole grain (% of what?)
grams whole grain / serving
first ingredient
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Whole Grains Council
Defining a Whole Grain Food
% whole grain
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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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
Defining a Whole Grain Food
% whole grain
France (Assn of Biscuit Manufacturers)
“Source of whole grain”
15-40% of total weight must be whole grain
“Rich in whole grain”
>40% of total weight must be whole grain
(Products should contain ≥40% cereals, ≤35% energy
from fat, ≤35% sat fat, no transfats, <40% total sugars)
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Whole Grains Council
Defining a Whole Grain Food
100% whole grain
• 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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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
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 wg”
≥16g of wg per serving – “High in wg”
≥24g of wg per serving – “Very high in wg”
Claims not allowed on snacks, sweets.
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Whole Grains Council
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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Whole Grains Council
Key Definitions: Whole Grain Rich
Must qualify as a grain serving / oz eq
PLUS one of these three requirements:
1.≥ 8g wg per oz eq (Plain grains, pasta, RTE
cereals ≥ 50% grain is whole grain)
2.Must qualify for FDA WG Health Claim (51% of
the total weight is wg, etc.)
3.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:
1.≥ 8g wg per labeled serving AND per RACC
2.At least 51% of the grain must be whole grain
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Whole Grains Council
Key Definitions: Whole Grain Stamp
Different numbers on every product.
Guarantee: a half serving or more of whole grain.
Basic Stamp
100% Stamp
Mix of whole & refined grains OK
at least 8g (1/2 serving) of whole grain
NO refined grain AND
at least 16g (1 serving) of whole grain
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Whole Grains Council
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 we’ve detailed to FDA.
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Whole Grains Council
Defining a Whole Grain Food
Drawbacks of the
AACCI “Whole Grain Characterization”
1.Foods in 4 categories would likely not qualify even if
most or all of their grains are whole grains.
2.Many foods containing more refined grain than whole
grain would qualify as “whole grain foods” which could
mislead consumers.
3.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://wholegrainscouncil.org/files/WGCtoFDAJan2014.pdf
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Whole Grains Council
WGC’s Recommendation to FDA
1. 100% whole grain foods
when 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
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council
Thank You!
Cynthia Harriman
[email protected]
www.WholeGrainsCouncil.org
Oldways and the
Whole Grains Council