The U.S. Grain Chain, a farm to fork coalition of stakeholders in the grain industry chaired by the American Bakers Association (ABA), is celebrating the recommendation published Dec. 29, 2020, in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) to “consume half of your grains from whole grain sources” and the remainder from enriched grains. A foundational piece of the DGAs, the guidelines recognize whole grains are “one of the three food groups that are fundamental constituents of a healthy dietary pattern.”

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) oversee and publish the Dietary Guidelines, the cornerstone of all Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education guidelines. The guidelines shape consumer health decisions and doctor recommendations.

Of importance, the DGAs maintained the existing recommendation for the average healthy American adult to consume six one-ounce (28.4 gram) servings of grain foods daily, with half of those servings coming from whole grains.

For the first time, the DGAs included recommendations for birth to two years. The Grain Chain applauded the recognition of grains as one of the traditional, nutritious first foods for infants. Numerous research studies have demonstrated significant, positive effects of nutrient absorption, improved nutrition quality, and overall wellness from enriched grains at various life stages.

Source: www.gograins.org.

The key takeaways from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the grains-based foods industry:

• Grains, both enriched and whole, play a key role in healthy dietary patterns and diet quality;
• Grains are a significant contributor of dietary fiber, a generally under-consumed nutrient for Americans;
• Grains contribute to overall diet quality through key essential nutrients;
• Grains are a delicious, versatile, affordable, and sustainable plant-based food;
• Enrichment and fortification of grains are key contributors to positive public health impacts.

Since folic acid fortification of enriched grain foods became required in 1998, the prevalence of babies born with neural tube defects (NTDs) has decreased by 35% in the United States, leading the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to name folic acid fortification of enriched grains one of the top 10 public health achievements of the first decade of the 21st century.

The DGAs included guidance on enriched grains, maintaining the existing recommendation of three one-ounce servings of enriched grains daily. While the guidelines cite science-backed evidence of positive health outcomes from the inclusion of enriched grains, the Grain Chain is extremely concerned to see the DGAs include contradictory language linking “refined grains” with poor dietary patterns and health outcomes.

Published scientific research clearly and unequivocally illustrates the key roles of grains – both enriched and whole – in healthy dietary patterns and their significant contributions to diet quality. To clarify and correct potential consumer confusion resulting from this contradictory language, the members of the Grain Chain look forward to partnering with the USDA and HHS to help educate the public on the value of both enriched and whole grains.

Source: www.gograins.org.

More information about grains can be found at GoGrains.org.

Excerpts reprinted with permission from the American Bakers Association; Read the original release here.

The “Grain Chain”, a farm to fork coalition of stakeholders in the U.S. grain industry chaired by the American Bakers Association (ABA), testified July 11, 2019, on the nutritional benefits of bread and grain-based products at the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) meeting. The recommendations in the Committee’s scientific report, due next year, will form the basis of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). The DGAs are the cornerstone of U.S. federal nutrition policy and nutrition education guidelines, shaping consumer health decisions and doctor recommendations.

“The Grain Chain endorses maintaining the 2015 DGAs recommendation of carbohydrate intakes between 45-65% of calories and at a minimum, the recommended six servings daily of traditional grains with at least half as whole grains,” testified Kathy Wiemer, MS, RD, speaking on behalf of the Grain Chain. “Further, given that Americans continue to under consume whole grains, we support an increase in daily recommended Whole Grain servings, while maintaining at least three servings of enriched grains.”

Kathy Wiemer, MS, RD, testifies on behalf of the Grain Chain. Photo Credit: American Bakers Association

The testimony and written comments highlighted key recommendations:

• Both whole and enriched grains play a leading role in diet quality
• Enrichment, fortification of grain foods have made lasting contributions to health
• Total grain consumption results in positive health outcomes
• Grains are important to growth and development in infants and children
• The current body of scientific evidence does not support a recommendation of low-carbohydrate dietary patterns to the U.S. population
• Grain food manufacturers are constantly innovating to improve the nutritional profile of their products and deliver more health benefits to consumers

A 1990 law requires the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, to publish nutritional and dietary guidelines for the public every five years. Members of the U.S. Grain Chain provide information to these agencies as guidelines are developed to help ensure that recommendations on grain foods consumption reflect current grain science research and data.

There is strong evidence that both whole and enriched grains are important sources of valuable nutrition and both the domestic and global baking industries continue to offer innovative, healthy grain products to meet consumer needs. Overseas, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) works on behalf of U.S. wheat producers to help bakers and wheat food processors understand the quality and value of all six classes of U.S. wheat. USW provides technical assistance and training in baking, snack food and pasta production, and sponsors participation in technical courses, workshops and seminars to help strengthen these industries.

Learn more about the nutritional value of wheat foods from the Wheat Foods Council, the Grain Foods Foundation, the National Pasta Association and the International Pasta Organization.

Originally printed November 6, 2018 by Kansas Wheat; Reprinted with permission

The phrase heard around the agriculture world is “tell your story.” Today most Americans are three generations removed from the farm so tales from the tractor are more important now than ever. Wheat farmers saw this need, and their conduit of conversation, EatWheat.org, is celebrating its first year of operation.

EatWheat allows the wheat industry to speak with one voice in an effort to reclaim the national conversation on wheat and share one primary message amongst numerous influencers while we dismantle the false promises of wheatless diets.

When urban consumers look down at their plate, many don’t know how that food came from the farm to their table. While it may not be a topic of constant thought, many have begun to wonder about the farmers who produce the food they consume and the processes used to create such a bounty.

Kansas wheat farmers are the driving force behind the EatWheat.org campaign, which aims to create awareness of farm and production practices through the lens of food as identity. And the food that we think can connect best is, of course, wheat. It’s simple. It’s versatile. It’s natural. And it doesn’t matter if it’s homemade for hours, or picked up at the grocery store ready-to-go — it’s a simple and natural way to connect to others and yourself.

After a year of operation, the good news is that the conversation is working. EatWheat’s Facebook follower count now ranks in the thousands and Instagram is ever-growing. Videos produced sharing the story of American agriculture have garnered tens-of-thousands of views. Fast-paced videos showing quick-and-easy wheat-based recipes have amassed more than 70,000 views on Facebook alone. But the real value in the social media world is the conversations that have been had with consumers who simply want to know where their food comes from.

During wheat harvest, nine food bloggers visited a Kansas wheat farm, flour mill and the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center. They baked with fellow blogger and popular cookbook author Zoë François of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. These bloggers shared their experiences learning about wheat on their blogs and with their 5.4 million social media followers.

More than 120,000 visitors have made their way to EatWheat.org during its inaugural year. These viewers typically come to the website to grab some quick-and-easy recipes, but they stay to learn more about where their food comes from.

EatWheat’s standout traffic performer this first year was Pinterest. The popular Pinterest account has garnered around 3 million views per month on the wheat-based ideas shared on our feed. This totals more than 30 million pairs of eyes on wheat recipes in the last 10 months alone. While not every pin shared on the account comes from EatWheat.org, every pin is wheat related. Every carb-tastic idea seen means that fewer fad diet ideas are shown, which leads to consumers rediscovering wheat in their family’s diets.

Now is the time to have these conversations with consumers. Wheat food consumption is on the rise for the first time in several years. In 2017 wheat for food use rose 14 million bushels over the previous year and flour consumption rose slightly to 131.8 pounds from 131.7 pounds per capita.

If you’re interested in learning more about the EatWheat project, please visit EatWheat.org and amplify these messages by sharing social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

The “Masters de la Boulangerie” competition, organized by Lesaffre, will be held Feb. 3 to 6 in Paris, France, as part of the “Europain” trade show. It is the final stage in a prestigious, three-year team competition cycle, comprised of the 2014-2015 Louis Lesaffre Cup and the 2016 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie.

Based on talent and potential from the competition cycle, 18 experienced candidates will compete in one of these categories: Nutritional Bread Making, Gourmet Baking and Artistic Bread Making. A panel of six jurors will evaluate candidates on technique, sales, marketing and communication skills, economic factors and “social and environmental responsibility linked to bread making,” according to the competition website. Each category includes specific challenges for the candidates “linked to evolutions in baking and the profession’s future.”

Related demonstrations during the competition, following a “Sharing and The Future” theme, include sharing how the candidates responded to challenges, their bakery “tips and tricks,” innovations from competition sponsors and a spotlight on “Young Bakery Hopefuls.”

Like USW, Lasaffre is committed to helping the world’s baking industry grow to its fullest potential. USW admires the mission of its baking competition cycle. We wish all the candidates good luck, including bakers from the United States, as well as bakers from U.S. wheat importers Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and Brazil.

Read more online at www.mastersdelaboulangerie.com, or follow the competition on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by following #BakeryMasters2018 and #MastersBoulangerie2018.

By Marsha Boswell, Director of Communications, Kansas Wheat Commission

In an effort to increase consumer trust in the domestic wheat industry, U.S. wheat farmers have created a consumer-minded marketing campaign called “EatWheat” to increase awareness of farming and production practices as well as the practical benefits of wheat in the United States.

This campaign will allow the U.S. wheat industry to speak with one voice in an effort to reclaim the national conversation on wheat and share one primary message among numerous influencers while dismantling the false promises of diets without wheat.

Wheat foods are eaten all over the world and U.S. wheat is exported to all parts of the globe. Food is an expression of cultural identity and many favorite family memories from celebrations and holidays are often associated with wheat foods. Food is also a great unifier across cultures. And “to break bread together” is symbolic for bonding relationships.

The EatWheat campaign provides an opportunity to share the story of food culture and customs and helps foster a connection between people, including U.S. wheat and their customers. There are many popular wheat foods around the world made with U.S. wheat. Pan de muerto is a type of sweet roll traditionally baked in Mexico as part of the Dia de los Muertos observance. Agege bread is one of the most popular Nigerian breads, known for its soft, stretchy and chewy texture. In Japan, U.S. wheat is used in ramen or udon noodles, and in China it is used for Chinese wheat noodles and steamed buns. Pancit or noodles is probably one of the most well-known Filipino dishes. In Filipino vernacular, pancit simply refers to noodles. When Brazilians ask for “o pão nosso de cada dia” (our daily bread) most think of a roll with a crisp brown crust and a light-as-air crumb that fits neatly in the palm of a hand, known as pão francês. In Indonesia, traditional breads might include Bagelen bread, crocodile bread or gambang bread.

All too often, when urban consumers in the United States look down at their plate, they may not know how that food came from the farm to their table. While it may not be top of mind, many are wondering about the farmers who produce the food they consume and the processes used to grow it.

The website aims to create awareness of farm and production practices through the lens of food as an identity. And the food that we think can connect best is, of course, made with basic, simple and versatile wheat flour. And it does not matter if it is homemade for hours, or picked up at the supermarket ready-to-go — wheat food is a natural way to connect to others and yourself. EatWheat.org launched in November 2017, just in time for the holiday season.

On the site, consumers can find answers to their questions about wheat production practices, share their values with wheat farmers and engage.

Kansas wheat farmers are the driving force behind the EatWheat.org campaign and want to share the farmers’ side of the story through the website, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. The site features stories of family farmers including Justin Knopf, who farms with his dad, Jerry, and his brother, Jeff.

“Our farm today looks much different than when I was a kid,” said Justin, a fifth-generation farmer focused on a sustainable future. “We are farming more acres because now, instead of just one family, there are three families to support. The machinery we use is different. Just like anyone’s life or job, we are using technology so we can better understand the biology and soils. All those things point to continual improvement which is important. We’re thinking critically about how we produce, where it comes from…”

Jerry Knopf is proud of how far their family farm has come.

“I just farmed because it was what I needed to do,” said Jerry. “I thought it was pretty cool they were willing to go to college but then come back and farm, because now they knew the new way to do things and are way smarter than I ever was.”

To watch the video of Justin’s story, visit https://eatwheat.org/stories/justin-knopf/.

Finally, the site features quick and easy recipes geared toward moms on the go, using ready-to-eat wheat foods like tortillas, bread and buns, and short-cuts including refrigerated dough and pasta. The “Learn” section tackles questions such as, ‘what is gluten,’ ‘what are the different types of flour’ and ‘what are some of the tools farmers use.’ Consumers can also “Get Inspired” with family activities like salt dough handprint ornaments, gingerbread houses and wheat décor.

Please visit EatWheat.org to learn more and help amplify these messages by sharing social media posts at facebook.com/eatwheat.org, instagram.com/eatwheat/ and pinterest.com/eatwheatorg/.