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e-News
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FDA releases draft of whole grain guidance |
02.17.2006
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WASHINGTON--Kicking off a 60-day comment period on yet another labeling issue, the Food and Drug Administration issued a draft guidance on what the term "whole grain" may include Feb. 15.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that half of the grain that consumers eat should be whole grains.
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According to the FDA's draft guidance, whole grains include unrefined cereal grains--barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, wheat and wild rice.
The draft guidance states that rolled and quick oats can be called whole grains because they contain all of their bran, germ and endosperm. Soybeans, sunflower seeds and roots are not considered to be whole grains.
Whole grains entered the limelight last year after the USDA issued the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; it recommends that half of the grain that consumers eat daily, at least 3 ounces, should be whole grains.
Manufacturers can make factual statements about whole grains on food labels such as "10 grams of whole grains" or "1/2 ounce of whole grains," said Barbara Schneeman, the director of the FDA's office of nutritional products, labeling and dietary supplements. Statements such as "an excellent source of whole grains," are not approved by the FDA, she said. "The FDA doesn't fully approve the use (of these statements) on these products. These terms have been used for nutritional content claims" such as the ones used for calcium.
A multitude of food products have been touting the benefits of whole grains on their packaging. More than 600 products now bear the Whole Grains Council's stamps--which state:
*A good source of whole grains--with at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving;
*An excellent source of whole grain--with at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving; and
*100 percent whole grain--for products where all the grain is whole grain and where there is at least 16 grams of whole grains per serving.
In January 2005, the Whole Grains Council, founded by food think tank Oldways Preservation and Trust and food manufacturers, introduced three yellow stamps to help consumers identify whole grain products.
The stamps are simple descriptors of the contents of the packaging, and do not provide or offer a health claim, said K. Dun Gifford, president of Oldways and a lead founder of the Whole Grains Council.
"The Whole Grains Council and Oldways welcome this review," said Gifford. "Consumer surveys are clear that consumers want to eat more whole grains, but are bewildered by the clutter of whole grains claims in advertisements and on packaging."
In December, the Whole Grains Council wrote to the FDA asking the agency to clarify its position on whole grain labeling.
Whole Grains Council and Oldways said it received the FDA's response Feb. 14, 2006, stating that the agency is working with the USDA to ensure consistency on whole grain policies, but that final guidance may not be complete before the end of the fiscal year. The FDA letter also commented on the Whole Grain Stamps, advising that "food labels bearing these stamps could be misbranded" under various FDA regulations.
FDA's Schneeman said the draft guidance is "for consumers to have a consistent and uniform terminology." Products making claims may be evaluated on a "case-bycase basis--is that info truthful and not misleading to consumers," Schneeman said.
The FDA advises consumers to see if grains such as wheat, rice, oats or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.
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