FDA spells out rules for whole-grain products

Thread: FDA spells out rules for whole-grain products

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FDA spells out rules for whole-grain products
	2006-02-17 16:25:59
FDA spells out rules for whole-grain products BY CHRIS DOLMETSCH BLOOMBERG NEWS February 16, 2006 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which recommended last year that people eat more whole grains, has drafted rules for the first time on what foods may be labeled "whole grain." The FDA defined whole-grain foods as those that contain intact fruit or cereal grains, which include barley, corn, rice and wheat; or ground, cracked or flaked grains with the same proportion of main ingredients as unmilled grain, the agency said in a statement released Wednesday. Some fiber, vitamins and minerals may be lost in the refining process, the FDA said. Products derived from legumes such as soybeans, oilseeds including sunflower seeds, and roots such as arrowroot aren't considered whole grain, according to the preliminary rules. Pizza crust may only be called whole grain when it is made entirely out of whole-grain or whole-wheat flour. "People who are being unscrupulous now ... they're on notice that there is no screwing around with fake whole-grain claims," said Dun Gifford, president of Boston-based Oldways Preservation Trust, a nonprofit food-education group that formed the Whole Grains Council in 2003 to promote consumption of whole-grain foods. In dietary guidelines issued last year, the FDA recommended that people eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta a day, with half of the grains consumed every day being whole grains. The guidelines were the first to include recommendations on weight management and physical activity amid growing concern about obesity in the United States. About 16% of people 6 to 19 years old are overweight; a committee of the Institute of Medicine said in December that the marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar may contribute to the problem. In 2004, General Mills Chief Executive Stephen Sanger added whole grains to all of the company's breakfast cereals to appeal to health-conscious consumers, and the FDA's latest dietary guidelines spurred other food-makers to introduce new whole-grain products. In November, the FDA turned down General Mills' request for permission to label breakfast cereals, bread and other products as a "good" or "excellent" source of whole grains, saying that it needed to define exactly what the term "whole grains" means. The FDA now begins a 60-day period to review programs that aim to help consumers identify legitimate whole-grain products, such as the Whole Grain Council's Whole Grain Stamp program. -- Regards, Catherine "Life is not an exact science, it is an art." -- Samuel Butler --