Previous epidemiological evidence suggests that habitual consumption of whole grains is associated with reduction of disease risk. While wholegrain food consumption appears to be increasing in Singapore, it is still low, with more infrequent consumption noted in younger Singaporeans. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to determine the knowledge of whole grains and barriers to consumption of wholegrain foods. Thirty participants (age range 21–26 year, 19 females) took part in two focus groups separated by a 2-week period in which participants trialled a range of wholegrain foods. Barriers towards whole grain consumption and experiences of products during this familiarization period were discussed during the focus groups and knowledge of whole grains was assessed by questionnaire. Potential barriers such as personal factors, product-specific factors and external factors were identified with sensory and habitual being stronger barriers. The whole grain familiarization period did not alter the taste expectations of the consumers but it did manage to increase acceptance for four of the wholegrain products tested (muesli, cookies, granola bars and wholewheat pasta). These findings suggest existing barriers to wholegrain food consumption should be considered by public health agencies and manufacturing companies.

Public health bodies in many countries are attempting to increase population-wide habitual consumption of whole grains. Limited data on dietary habits exist in Singaporean children. The present study therefore aimed to assess whole grain consumption patterns in Singaporean children and compare these with dietary intake, physical activity and health parameters. Dietary intake (assessed by duplicate, multipass, 24-h food recalls), physical activity (by questionnaire) and anthropometric measurements were collected from a cross-section of 561 Singaporean children aged 6–12 years. Intake of whole grains was evaluated using estimates of portion size and international food composition data. Only 38·3 % of participants reported consuming whole grains during the dietary data collection days. Median intake of whole grains in consumers was 15·3 (interquartile range 5·4–34·8) g/d. The most commonly consumed whole-grain food groups were rice (29·5 %), wholemeal bread (28·9 %) and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (18·8 %). A significantly lower proportion of Malay children (seven out of fifty-eight; P < 0·0001) consumed whole grains than children of other ethnicities. Only 6 % of all children consumed the amount of whole grains most commonly associated with improved health outcomes (48 g/d). There was no relationship between whole grain consumption patterns and BMI, waist circumference or physical activity but higher whole grain intake was associated with increased fruit, vegetable and dairy product consumption (P < 0·001). These findings demonstrate that consumption of whole grain foods is low at a population level and infrequent in Singaporean children. Future drives to increase whole-grain food consumption in this population are likely to require input from multiple stakeholders.

Epidemiological studies from around the world have consistently associated habitual consumption of whole grains with reduced disease and mortality risk (1) . The Singaporean public health agency (the Health Promotion Board) emphasise the importance of whole grain intake through recommendation of two to three servings of whole grains a day through collaboration with the food industry and out-of-home vendors to include whole grain alternatives (2) . Despite these recommendations, National Nutrition Survey (2004) shows that only 13·7% of Singaporeans consumed 0·5 serving or more of whole grains daily (3) . Previous consumer studies had determined potential barriers faced by individuals when attempting to incorporate whole grains into their diet (4) . Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to determine the knowledge of whole grains, salient barriers and the effectiveness of a whole grain acceptability trial whereby a variety of wholegrain products were given to participants.Ethical approval was provided by the Newcastle University SAgE Faculty Ethics Committee for this study. A total of 30 participants, who were in their final year of university were selected to participate. The study comprised of two focus groups prior to and immediately following a 2-week wholegrain food acceptability trial. Barriers towards whole grain consumption and experiences of the acceptability trial were discussed during the semi-structured focus groups.Potential barriers such as personal factors (relating to personal preference and wholegrain food knowledge), product-specific factors and external factors (influences affecting food purchasing decisions not governed by the individual) were identified with sensory and habitual being stronger barriers, as highlighted in Fig. 1. The wholegrain acceptability trial was not successful in altering the taste preference of the consumers but it did manage to increase acceptance of some of the wholegrain products.In conclusion, characterisation of such barriers to whole grain consumption could help develop population-specific strategies by public health agencies and food manufacturers to overcome these barriers.