Formulating With Whole Grains

Since its release, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have helped increase the use of whole grains in food products and made consumers more aware of the benefits of whole grains as a source of fiber, minerals and vitamins. In the guidelines, USDA encourages Americans to consume at least half of all grains as whole grains, and increase whole grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains.

Another force is also increasing awareness of whole grains—the National School Lunch Program. New school-food rules require that at least half the grain foods served to children be “whole grain-rich." Whole grain-rich foods may contain less than 100% whole grains, but generally contain at least 51% whole grains. The National School Lunch Program requires that, by 2014, all grain foods served must be whole grain-rich.

“With this guaranteed school market now available, reformulation efforts are gaining even more momentum," says Cynthia Harriman, director, food and nutrition strategies, Oldways and the Whole Grains Council, Boston. “Products retooled for the schools will spill over into other markets, making more good whole-grain products available to everyone."

Despite USDA recommendations, most consumers are not eating enough whole grains; however, the food industry is working to modify this trend.

“Dietary advice helps, as does a mechanism for reliably identifying whole grains, but there's a third part to the equation, too," Harriman says. “In order for consumers to go back to the store and buy that product again, the product needs to be delicious and affordable. Manufacturers have made huge headway in reformulating products to contain more whole grain, while retaining the flavors and textures that consumers love."

Consumer confusion

FDA's definition of a whole grain includes cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked fruit of the grains whose principal components—the starchy endosperm, germ and bran—are present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact grain. This definition allows whole grains to be processed in many ways, such as being crushed, cracked, chopped, rolled and ground into fine particle sizes, as long as all the parts remain undamaged and in proportion.

On the other hand, the definition of a whole-grain food is much less uniform. Schools have their definition of whole-grain-rich, while the FDA has another definition for use of the whole-grain health claim (51% of all ingredients are whole grains and those whole-grain ingredients have to contain at least 11% dietary fiber). The Dietary Guidelines and the Whole Grains Stamp, created by the Whole Grain Council, advise looking for foods with at least 8 grams of whole grain. Statements, such as multigrain, also can cause confusion, because consumers might not know the grain content unless it is clearly stated.

“Overall, it looks like where we are headed is that a whole-grain food will have at least half or more of the grain ingredients as whole grain," says Beth Arndt, Ph.D., director, R&D, ConAgra Mills, Omaha, NE. “The industry is really looking hard into this, because in the end, consumers look on the product label for cues on how to tell."

Even if consumers don't understand the definition of a whole grain or a whole-grain food, seeing “whole-grain" wording on a package is meaningful for them.

“Demand will continue to grow if consumers can clearly identify whole-grain foods and understand what that means," says Jeff Casper, M.S., R&D manager, Horizon Milling (a Cargill joint venture), Minneapolis.

Growing whole grains

Consumption of all whole grains is increasing as more whole-wheat products are being developed. Whole-wheat flour remains the most popular whole grain used in food products, followed by whole-grain corn, oats, rye and barley.

“In bakery products, wheat remains the primary grain source because its functionality is so important to achieving the volume and texture we have become accustomed to in bakery products," says Brook Carson, M.S., technical product manager, ADM Milling, Decatur, IL. “Additional grains have found their way into bakery products and have provided new and interesting flavors and textures. There is a huge opportunity for growth for whole grains as meal centers or side dishes. A variety of whole grains are being used in pastas, pilafs and salads."