VIENNA, AUSTRIA — The Cereals & Grains Association, the Healthgrain Forum and the ICC all have approved and endorsed the definition for what constitutes a whole grain food put forth by the International Working Group on Whole Grain Definition(s), according to the Whole Grain Initiative.

The working group developed definitions both for whole grain as a food ingredient and a whole grain food. The definitions ensure all global stakeholders, including academics, industry, public and government agencies, have clear criteria to achieve scientific compliance and to prevent products with a small amount of whole grain being identified as a whole grain food, according to the working group.

A whole grain food, according to the definition, must contain at least 50% whole grain ingredients based on dry weight. Food containing a minimum of 25% whole grain ingredients based on dry weight may have a front-of-pack claim on the presence of whole grain but cannot be designated as whole grain in the product name.

Whole grains, as food ingredients, must consist of the intact, ground, cracked, flaked or otherwise processed kernel after the removal of inedible parts such as the hull and the husk. All anatomical components, including the endosperm, the germ and the bran, must be present in the same relative proportions as in the intact kernel.

More information may be found here.

The Whole Grain Initiative was formed in 2017 to figure out ways to increase consumption of whole grains. The initiative later set up the International Working Group on Whole Grain Definition(s). Partners of the Whole Grain Initiative include Bühler, the Cereals & Grains Association, Cereal Partners Worldwide, the Healthgrain Forum, ICC and the Oldways Whole Grain Council,

Members of the Cereals & Grains Association work for leading companies in the food industry, including General Mills, the Kellogg Co. and Nestle SA. The Healthgrain Forum, based in Europe, promotes science-based concepts to unlock the health-promoting potential of the entire grain food production chain. The ICC (International Association for Cereal Science and Technology) is an international association that connects cereal scientists and technologists throughout the world.