The relevance of whole grain food definitions in estimation of whole grain intake: a secondary analysis of the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011–2012

Abstract

Objective:To determine the impacts of using a whole grain food definition on measurement of whole grain intake compared with calculation of total grams of intake irrespective of the source.Design:The Australian whole grain database was expanded to identify foods that comply with the Healthgrain whole grain food definition (≥30 % whole grains on a dry weight basis, whole grain ingredients exceeds refined grain and meeting accepted standards for healthy foods based on local regulations). Secondary analysis of the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) 2011–2012 dietary intake data included calculation of whole grain intakes based on intake from foods complying with the Healthgrain definition. These were compared with intake values where grams of whole grain in any food had been included.Setting:Australia.Participants:Australians (≥2 years) who participated in the NNPAS 2011–2012 (n 12 153).Results:Following expansion of the whole grain database, 214 of the 609 foods containing any amount of whole grain were compliant with the Healthgrain definition. Significant mean differences (all P < 0·05) of 2·84–6·25 g/d of whole grain intake (5·91–9·44 g/d energy adjusted) were found when applying the Healthgrain definition in comparison with values from foods containing any whole grain across all age groups.Conclusions:Application of a whole grain food definition has substantial impact on calculations of population whole grain intakes. While use of such definitions may prove beneficial in settings such as whole grain promotion, the underestimation of total intake may impact on identification of any associations between whole grain intake and health outcomes.

Total and whole grain intake in Latin America: findings from the multicenter cross-sectional Latin American Study of Health and Nutrition (ELANS)

“…In Europe, the intake of WG, defined as an ingredient in WG-containing foods, ranged from 14.4 g/d in France to 58 g/d in Sweden among adults, data collected in 2010 and 2000, respectively [ 3 , 29 , 30 ]. Kissock et al estimated the WG intake of Australian adults to be 32.6 g/d in 2011–2012 by using the Healthgrain Forum WG food definition [ 31 ]. Our results indicate that the intake of foods containing WG in Latin American countries was approximately 15 g/d in 2015.…”

Health benefits of whole grain: effects on dietary carbohydrate quality, the gut microbiome, and consequences of processing

“…Building robust, evidence‐based dietary guidelines should be a priority for health agencies globally, as well as clear guidance for population on how to select healthful whole‐grain products. Part of the solution may be through standardization of agreed definitions for whole grain and whole‐grain foods so that food manufacturers use consistent terminology and labelling on packaging, helping the consumer to make informed choices (Kissock et al., 2020; Mathews & Chu, 2020). This has been addressed by the Whole Grain Initiative (WGI, 2020), a nongovernmental organization of academic institutions and industry coordinated by the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC; Korczak et al., 2016).…”

Aligning nutrient profiling with dietary guidelines: modifying the Nutri-Score algorithm to include whole grains

“…Dietary guidelines have encouraged the intake of whole grains, either as quantified recommendations [5,6], or generically linked to choices within a food group [7][8][9]. Despite well-documented benefits and recommendations, whole-grain consumption remains low in most countries [10][11][12][13][14][15].…”