In an effort to protect consumers from being misled by food product labels, in 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed new guidelines for what constitutes whole grain and how this information must be explained on a label. The only way that a food manufacturer can make a claim that their product is a "whole grain" product is for the product to contain an approved grain and to have specific levels of it in the ingredients.
The Grains
As listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the grain food group includes brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, buckwheat, oats, barley, popcorn, whole cornmeal, rye, sorghum, quinoa, amaranth, millet and triticale.
Must Be the Whole Grain
For products made with the approved grains to be considered "whole grain," they must include the entire kernel of the grain, which consists of the bran, germ and the endosperm, which is the inner part of the kernel. The kernel does not have to be in its original whole state, as it can be crushed, rolled or ground. However, as long as the entire grain, no matter what state its in, is in the final product, it is considered "whole." The USDA suggests checking the label on the product you buy to make sure the first item listed is a whole grain, such as "whole wheat flour" or "whole corn flour."
Label Information Regulations
Foods with FDA-approved whole grains have a "Whole grain" stamp on the package, which began in 2006. According to the Whole Grains Council, if the packaging for your product was manufactured before 2006, you will have a stamp that tells you if the product is a "good source" of whole grains, "excellent source" of whole grains or "100 percent/excellent source" of whole grains. A good source contains 8 grams (g) of whole grains per serving, an excellent source contains 16 g, and a 100 percent excellent source means the grain is still whole and in tact (not rolled or milled) and there are 16 g per serving.
If the packaging has been manufactured later than mid-2006, the stamp has become simplified. It will say "whole grain," and then tell you how many grams of whole grains there are per serving, but there may also be some refined grains in the product. The other stamp will say "100 percent" under the words "whole grain," which means that it contains nothing but whole grains.
Member Comments