FDA
Issues New Guidelines On Whole Grains
WASHINGTON
(AP)--The Food and Drug Administration issued
new guidelines Wednesday to help people
figure out which bread or cereal meets the
government's recommendations for eating
heart-healthy whole grains.
Pizza
or bagels labeled as "whole grain"
or "whole wheat" should have dough
made entirely from whole wheat or whole
grain flour, FDA said. "Whole grains"
are cereal grains including corn, rice,
oats and wheat, and they must be intact,
ground, cracked or flaked, according to
FDA.
Consumers
need a consistent definition for whole grains,
said Barbara Schneeman, director of the
FDA's office of nutritional products, labeling
and dietary supplements.
"Using the term multigrain or seven-grain
doesn't necessarily mean that product contains
whole grains," she said.
Government dietary guidelines say three
servings of whole grains daily will reduce
the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
A serving is about an ounce - a half-cup
of oatmeal, a slice of bread, a cup of cold
cereal flakes.
It's
the first time FDA has tried to define whole
grains, although the new definition raises
questions as well as answers. FDA recently
turned down a request from General Mills
(GIS)
(GIS),
maker of Wheaties and other well-known cereals,
to say what constitutes an "excellent
source" or a "good source"
of whole grains.
Both
claims are common on packages throughout
supermarkets, and FDA was unclear about
whether it wants them removed. "We
would have to look at a particular product
to understand whether something is being
used appropriately," Schneeman said.
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