Definition of Whole Grain and Determination of Content in Cereal Products

Worldwide, dietary recommendations are given for increasing the intake of whole grain to improve health and well-being. A common definition of whole grain foods is important as international research and trade with foods are increasing. The composition of a bran fraction is highly dependent on the milling technology and type of grain used. HealthGrain Forum, a non-for-profit consortium of academics and industry working with cereal foods, established a working group to gather input from academics and industry to develop guidance on labeling the whole grain content of foods. The content of total dietary fibre has been suggested as a benchmark for determining whether a product is whole grain or not. Alkylresorcinols have been suggested as a marker for whole grain wheat and rye content in cereal products. Whole grain wheat bread has been shown to reduce appetite measures compared to refined wheat bread.