Manufacturers contemplating the use of wholegrain in their products will be encouraged to hear that the government is expected to quantify its consumption guidance in the near future.
Government advice on wholegrains varies greatly from country to country, but most guidance provides consumers with a set recommended amount. Greece recommends eight servings per day of non-refined cereals and the US recommends three or more servings daily, but the UK simply advises consumers to "eat wholegrain where possible"
However, director of food and nutrition strategies at the US Whole Grains Council Cynthia Harriman predicts that UK advice is set to become quantified. The Food Standards Agency has commissioned a trial to assess the impact of increased consumption of wholegrain foods on the risk of cardiovascular disease and Harriman is positive that it will highlight the benefits of eating wholegrain. "So much nutrition research is mixed - one day something is good for you, then it's bad, but we don't see that with wholegrain," she says. "We expect that UK advice will become clearer with time."
The case for wholegrain is about to gain a big boost with the UK introduction of the Whole Grains Council stamp, which has just been launched on Morrison's new Multi Wholegrain Crusty Cob. The stamp is set to raise consumer awareness by certifying that the product contains 29g or more of whole grain per serving.
Now that Morrison has kick-started the trend for using the stamp, it is expected that others will follow. The Council is chaired by Frito-lay's director of nutrition and regulatory affairs Bob Brown. The stamp is used on the brand's Sunchips, which are the US equivalent of Walker's Sunbites, and Harriman claims that the Council is in talks with Pepsico about using the stamp in the UK.
Food giants such as Cargill, Unilever and Nestlé are also members of the Council and have promoted the stamp outside of the UK.