Rebecca Wright02.15.06
FDA has issued draft guidance on what the term "whole grain" may include. The guidance will assist manufacturers with what the FDA considers appropriate for food label statements related to "whole grain" content. Consumers will now be able to make dietary choices based on a term that is consistent and reliable.
"One of the most important decisions people can make about their health is the choice of foods they eat," said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs. "A top priority at FDA is finding additional ways to clearly communicate the health benefits found in food."
The FDA document clarifies that the agency considers "whole grain" to include cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked fruit of the grains whose principal componentsthe starchy endosperm, germ and branare present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact grain. Such grains may include barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, wheat and wild rice.
In contrast, in the grain refining process some of the bran and germ is removed resulting in a loss of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.
The draft guidance states that although rolled and "quick oats" can be called "whole grains" because they contain all of their bran, germ and endosperm, other widely used food products may not meet the "whole grain" definition. For example, FDA does not consider products derived from legumes (soybeans), oilseeds (sunflower seeds) and roots (arrowroot) as "whole grains." The draft guidance specifically recommends that pizza only be labeled as "whole grain" or "whole wheat" when its crust is made entirely from whole grain flours or whole wheat flour, respectively.