Whole Grain Nutrition

The recent trend toward offering whole grains in breads and cereals is an important move toward improved nutrition, with obvious implications for the grains industry. But there are some issues, says nutrition specialist John Dean.
 
Dean formerly was Manager of market and technical Development with Agricore United. He notes that all of us are bombarded daily with messages about our food… fibre, omega-3, whole grains and trans fats, to name a few.  Problem is, the messages often conflict, especially in the area of nutrition

“Traditionally, we are white bread consumers,” Dean said in a recent inetrview.. “We seem to prefer white bread because it’s traditional and it tastes good.”

But nutritionally, white bread doesn’t deliver much value.  And while the recently revised Canada Food Guide says at least half of human grain consumption should be “whole grains” there are conflicting messages at the grocery store.

Dean points out Canada may be the only jurisdiction where bread products may be advertised as “whole wheat” but not contain the “whole grain.”  Even “100% whole wheat” in Canada does not have to contain the whole of the wheat grain.

”And I think what we’re going to see is, that as consumers become aware of this, they are going to say, ‘“I want all the grain – including all of the germ – not part of the germ - the rest of the good stuff as well - the vitamins, the minerals, the anti-oxidants and so on…… that’s where they are to be found.”’

Dean believes once consumers are confident that they can get the whole nutrition package – all of the bran, all of the starch (energy), all of the germ available in whole grains - they will continue to choose the healthier whole grain path.  He takes encouragement from the recognition of whole grain nutrition in the new Canada Food Guide, but is concerned we are not keeping pace with the rest of the world.

In the U.S., for example, the Whole Grains Council has produced an identifying stamp which will show precisely how much whole grain (including a whole selection of grains, not just cereal grains) is being delivered in a certain product.

Dean would also like to see recognition of the health claim for soluble fibre content in barley, which has been afforded to oats for some years now.  He notes the US Food & Drug Administration has now allowed a health claim for barley, as another rich source of beta glucan and dietary fibre – linking the claim to both barley and oats.  But Canada has not yet made the move.

“There’s no question about the benefit of these products, so it’s a little  puzzling why in Canada we’re so slow to make sure that the consumer is able to benefit from that clear message, endorsed in the proper way.”

Dean says “savvy consumers” are now more likely to demand both “convenience and nutrition” and that trend is likely to grow in the future.  He notes consumers in the UK have already demonstrated their willingness to pay more for wholesome, ready-to-eat foods and he believes the trend will spread to major cities in North America.

As consumer awareness builds, Dean sees a growing tendency for people to make healthier choices – whether in whole grains or in products low in transfats.  All of this, he believes, is good news for the grains and oilseeds industry.