Research indicates that wholegrains offer a range of health benefits, including a lower risk of disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
However, the Whole Grain Initiative (WGI), which was established in 2017 to address the wholegrain dietary gap, believes vague and varying definitions around what constitutes a wholegrain food is baffling consumers, hindering scientific research and creating disparities across food industry practices.
According to Heart UK, a cholesterol charity, ‘wholegrain products are foods made with grains which have been through some processing, but still have most of their nutrients’.
To prioritise consumer clarity and public health, the WGI says it’s crucial to adopt a unified and global definition of ‘wholegrains’.
It argues that the lack of consensus among governments and regulatory bodies has led to a range of conflicting interpretations that are difficult to navigate.
Meanwhile, the spotlight on ultra processed foods has led to further confusion, leaving consumers with mixed messages around wholegrain bread and cereals.
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) agrees with WGI’s calls, suggesting that some food labels bearing the term ‘wholegrain’ may not always align with consumer expectations.
Certain products may claim to be ‘wholegrain’ but contain minimal wholegrains, while others may provide high levels but struggle with labelling regulations that vary by country.
The EUFIC states that this lack of transparency and consistency affects consumer trust, making it difficult for consumers to feel confident about which products truly contribute to a nutritious diet.
To address this issue, the WGI has published a framework of definitions to serve as a basis for standardising wholegrain labelling. These proposed standards include:
- Wholegrain as an ingredient: Wholegrains, whether intact or processed, should retain all essential components – bran, germ and endosperm – in their natural proportions. This definition should be applied to all cereal grains and certain pseudo-cereals like quinoa and amaranth.
- Wholegrain foods: To be labelled a wholegrain food, a product must contain at least 50% whole grain ingredients by dry weight. Foods with 25-50% whole grain content can make factual whole grain content claims but should not be labelled as wholegrain foods.
- Consumer labelling: To ensure transparency, any front-of-pack wholegrain claim should require a minimum of 25% wholegrain ingredients by dry weight.
Supported by international scientific bodies, these proposed standards are designed to increase transparency, make food labelling more reliable, and empower consumers to make informed dietary choices.
“These consensus definitions are the result of several years of active engagement and discussion among almost fifty whole grain experts representing nineteen different countries,” explained Caroline Sluyter, chair of the WGI’s governing board.
“We strongly advocate for widespread adoption of these whole grain definitions, knowing that unified standards will have wide-reaching benefits for whole grain labelling, consumer education, and nutrition research.
“We want every consumer to have access to clear and transparent information about their food options so that making good choices for their health is easy and uncomplicated.”
