2011 Q1 Newsletters

March 2011 WGC Member Newsletter (sent to members March 28, 2011)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

Spring is upon us, with the feeling of new beginnings. And it's not just flowers and buds that are popping up - we're delighted to see more and more whole grains appearing this spring, in chain restaurants.

Just in the past week, I saw whole wheat bread and pita options at a Fresh City outlet on the Massachusetts Turnpike, a bun made with whole grains on McDonald's Chicken Premium sandwich (it was lunchtime, but the tray liner showed a picture of their oatmeal, and included a graphic of the Whole Grain Stamp. Cool!) and a big starburst sign saying "Whole Wheat Tortillas!" at a Southwest Grill outlet in Boston's South Station as I ran for my commuter bus. Whole grains are busting out all over, to paraphrase the song.

ANOTHER WG STAMP MILESTONE: 5000 PRODUCTS!   
The Whole Grain Stamp program reached another milestone this week, when the list of products approved to use the Whole Grain Stamp passed the 5,000 mark. Who would have thought, back when we launched this program in 2005, that the Whole Grain Stamp would become so ubiquitous? The Stamp is now being used in 22 countries, including China; we've just had the Stamp Usage Guide translated into Chinese, in fact.

We'd like to remind all WGC members that the lists on our website include all products qualified to use the Whole Grain Stamp - whether they are actually using the Stamp on their packaging at this moment or not. While we certainly encourage everyone to actually use the Whole Grain Stamp on all qualifying products, we know that sometimes you have many competing needs for the limited real estate on every package. Register your whole grain products in any event - at least they'll be listed on our website, where consumers go to check their buying choices. Contact Kara Berrini (kberrini@oldwayspt.org) if you need help registering products in our online system.

EXPO WEST AND RESEARCH CHEFS ASSOCIATION   
Much as we enjoy working in our offices answering questions for members, consumers and the media, it's always a joy to get out in the trenches and promote whole grains out there in the big wide world. Both Kara and Cynthia hit the road this month, with four different events where we represented the Whole Grains Council.

Kara was delighted to see 70 WGC members at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA. Although she was unable to fit every single great product she saw (and tasted!) into her Expo West blog, rest assured that it's all to the good that she had the opportunity to update herself about your product lines. We talk to journalists regularly, and when we know what you're up to, we can help spread the word! Kara also acted as a Roundtable Moderator on the topic of marketing health at the Healthy Baking Seminar held in conjunction with Expo West, which was another great opportunity to support the whole grain cause.

A week earlier, Cynthia traveled to Atlanta for the Research Chefs Association (RCA) expo and conference, and - with (L to R above) Chef RJ Harvey of Morrison Management, WGC Vice Chair Mike Holleman, of Indian Harvest, and WGC Culinary Advisor Chef Steve Petusevsky  - helped present a panel on heirloom ingredients to a roomful of chefs. Encouraging foodservice to use more whole grains is an important part of the WGC's work, so we were delighted to have this opportunity to reach so many chefs with information about heirloom grains.

SCHOOL FOOD INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE   
The fourth event we participated in during March was a meeting of the School Food Industry Roundtable, held in Washington, DC on March 9. Representatives of about three dozen companies gathered to learn more about the new school food requirements published by USDA this past January 13. Cynthia Harriman presented information on the changes proposed for whole grains in school foods, and passed out a reference comparing definitions of whole grain foods.

In their essence, the new rules call for schools to serve "whole grain rich" foods - foods where at least 51% of the grain is whole grain. If you provide whole grains to schools and you have comments on the new school food rules, remember that the USDA comment period ends April 13. You can make your comments on the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

SAMPLING AND SALES LEADS   
Earlier this month, a Registered Dietitian and PTA Mom from Long Island contacted us and asked for our help in obtaining samples of whole grain cereals and snacks to introduce to her kids' school district. Like most school districts, this one is ramping up for the new school food rules (above), and trying to do the right thing for their kids. But also like most school districts, they aren't familiar with too many of the product options available. To make a long story short, we invited the RD/Mom to browse our lists of Whole Grain Stamp'ed products, and pick a few that appealed to her. We then connected her with the manufacturers - both of whom were happy to work with her, and thanked us for the potential sales lead.

Some of you may not be interested in this kind of opportunity ("I can't possibly donate to every good cause!") while others may see it in a different light ("Oh good -- a chance to connect with a potential customer!") If you're in the group that actively seeks leads through sampling opportunities, email Chrisanne Grise (cgrise@olwayspt.org), WGC Program Assistant, and we'll put you on our Sampling List. Then, when we get sampling requests, we email you and invite you to take part if you're interested. There's no obligation; you can pick and choose the opportunities that are right for you. And we never give the list out to those requesting samples!

OLDWAYS NEWS: DUN GIFFORD MED COOKBOOK AWARD   
Every month we end with an update from Oldways, the WGC's parent organization. At the beginning of March, Oldways President Sara Baer-Sinnott traveled to Paris to present the Dun Gifford Mediterranean Cuisine Award as part of the 16th Annual Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Each year, the Gourmand awards -- organized by Dun and Sara's good friend, Edouard Cointreau -- cull the best 50 books on food and wine from the universe of more than 26,000 such books published in the last twelve months. While the awards have long included a Mediterranean Cuisine Award, this award was renamed recently to honor Oldways founder and visionary, K. Dun Gifford, who died suddenly last May. Hearty congratulations to winner Zouhaïr Ben Jemaa, of Tunisia, for his cookbook Cuisiner Autrement, or "Cook Differently."
Best regards from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
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Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
603-436-1608 direct
617-896-4820 main office
WholeGrainsCouncil.org and Oldwayspt.org

February 2011 WGC Member Newsletter (sent to members February 24, 2011)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

"The results are in, and the move toward whole wheat has been an unquestioned success." That's the lead in a story in Food Business News that appeared just as we were drafting this month's newsletter. The article went on to say, "Other disparate factors contributing to strength in whole grains have been the creation of supportive groups such as the Whole Grains Council and the introduction of the Whole Grain Stamp..." We read on, and this quote from Jeff Dryfhout at WGC member Sara Lee said it all: "Whole grains are becoming the ante in new products. ... Now it is the must have. Not having it becomes problematic."

There you have it in a nutshell: Whole grains are the new norm, and it's because of what we've all accomplished, working together through the Whole Grains Council. A big thank you to all of our WGC members who support the work of Oldways and the Whole Grains Council.

CONFERENCE MATERIALS ONLINE NOW!
Speaker presentations and program book materials from our recent conference are now available for download on the WGC website. If you joined us in Portland, these materials make great references to augment your notes from the event. And if you weren't able to attend, here's the perfect way to get up to speed on what you missed, without leaving your desk. In the next week or two, we'll also be adding photos and recipes from Portland to this post-conference collection.

We're seeing the ripple effects of this conference already. Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times columnist, told us she rushed out to buy "a load of grains I've never worked with" after the conference, and wrote about some of her experiments with them in this week's column. Several of our members were inspired by meeting Yu Xiaodong, one of China's top nutrition leaders, and are contemplating traveling to Beijing with us (see below). And many of you tell us you're heeding Jerry Burger's talk on social norms, and dropping the "woe is me, no one eats enough whole grains" message from your marketing communications. Like all Oldways and WGC conferences, Whole Grains: the New Norm will play an important role in changing the way people eat.

"This was a terrific conference. You guys knocked it out of the park!" That's what one attendee said, in his feedback survey. If you attended the conference but haven't filed your post-conference survey yet, look for an email from Cynthia Harriman dated February 7 (subject: How was the conference?), with a link to your own personalized online survey, and reply by March 1. We value your feedback; it helps us make future events even better!

Thanks again to our sponsors and supporters for helping to make this wonderful conference possible: Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur Flour, General Mills, Lundberg Family Farms, Quaker; Caravan Ingredients, Cargill Horizon Milling, ConAgra Mills, h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending, Indian Harvest, Kellogg's Kraft Foods, McDonald's, Ralcorp Holdings, Riviana Foods, Sunnyland Mills, Uncle Bens; Dakota Specialty Milling, Mestemacher Bread, Over the Top Food Company, and Rubschlager Baking.

EXPO WEST: MAKE APPOINTMENTS, ORDER BUTTONS!    
Hot on the heels of our conference in Portland, the WGC is expanding its presence at this year's Natural Products Expo West, taking place March 11-13 in Anaheim, CA.

First, on March 10, WGC Program Manager Kara Berrini will take part in Baking Management's Healthy Baking Seminar, at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel. Kara will be moderating a round robin breakout session on effective health marketing messages, which will also feature the technical expertise of Joni Huffman from ConAgra Mills. Speakers from fellow WGC member companies Udi's Healthy Foods and FullBloom Baking will undoubtedly help to further the presence of whole grains during the Seminar.

Once the Expo floor opens, Kara will be walking the show, catching up with existing WGC Members and checking out other companies and products where whole grains are the norm. She'll be making the rounds on March 11th and 12th, but if you'd like to set up a specific appointment to discuss new ways to take advantage of your WGC membership, email Kara now to set up a time.

Interested in "Just Ask for Whole Grains" stickers or buttons for your booth? Check out the choices, then email Chrisanne Grise today, so we'll have time to ship your materials to you before the show.

DIP YOUR TOES IN THE CHINESE MARKET
As we mentioned above, Yu Xiaodong, General Director of China's Public Nutrition and Development Center (PNDC), was a speaker and honored guest at our conference in Portland three weeks ago. General Director Yu came to the U.S. specifically to learn how the WGC promotes whole grains, and he left energized and inspired by what he saw - both at our conference and at a typical U.S. supermarket. He's determined to make the market for whole grain products flourish in China, and wants to extend a hand to WGC member companies that are interested in exploring the Chinese market.

Mr. Yu tells us that many Chinese are mistrustful of the quality of foods from their own country, and that the rising middle and upper classes with more disposable income prefer foreign branded foods. The PNDC, in fact, offers quality certification to foods, and Mr. Yu can help WGC member companies pursue PNDC certification. China will be a major economic force in the years to come. If your company is in the process of developing its China strategy, the WGC can help you make useful connections now.

We are partnering with the PNDC (and the U.S. Grains for Health Foundation) to organize the first-ever Whole Grain Forum in Beijing on April 20-21. This Forum will be held in conjunction with the 3rd International Nutrition & Health Industry Expo. You're invited to attend the Expo and Forum (US $395) and/or exhibit at the Expo (around US $3000) - a great way to learn more about how your company can provide some of the 47 million tons of whole grains Mr. Yu wants the Chinese to consume annually. Contact Cynthia Harriman if you'd like to learn more, or download information here.

DIETARY GUIDELINES STRENGTHEN WG MESSAGE
The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released on January 31, 2011, with an even stronger message about the importance of whole grains. The overall recommendation remains the same as in the 2005 document: Make at least half your grains whole. But this time, there's a new emphasis on decreasing consumption of refined grains. We're especially pleased that the government has added some clarification to the definition of a whole grain food -- using an 8 grams per serving minimum, similar to the standard established by the Whole Grains Council. Space doesn't permit us to cover everything here, so we invite you to read our blog from January 31 for more information and a link to the full Dietary Guidelines document.

WGC DISCOUNT ON "MED DIET 101" BROCHURES
Here at Oldways, we're also pleased as punch to see the new Dietary Guidelines singling out the Mediterranean Diet as one of the most solidly-established models for healthy eating. Oldways, the parent organization of the Whole Grains Council, is perhaps best known as the creator of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, and for its two decades of promotion of the Med Diet as a satisfying, delicious way to enjoy good health.

The WGC benefits from being part of Oldways because (of course!) whole grains are only one part of an overall healthy diet; Oldways' work with the Med Diet helps provide valuable context for our work with whole grains.  To make this connection and benefit more tangible, Oldways is offering WGC members a 10% discount on its new Mediterranean Diet brochure - that's $13.50 for 75 brochures, instead of the usual $15. If you're doing health outreach activities to RDs or consumers, these colorful tri-fold brochures could be just what you need. Download a sample brochure here, then contact Chrisanne Grise to learn more or to place your order.

Best regards from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
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Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
 

January 2011 WGC Member Newsletter (sent to members January 19, 2011)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

2011 looks to be another good year for whole grains, if the many trend reports for the new year are any indication. Just to mention a few: The National Restaurant Association's annual survey of chefs included four whole grains (black rice #27, quinoa #29, ancient grains #30, and red rice #43) among the top 20% of its 266 hot trends for 2011; the Daily Meal called whole grains the "Top Ingredient Trend for 2011"; and Yahoo! Health called gluten-free grains one of "5 Top Trendy Foods for January." We hope that 2011 is off to a good start for you, too.

WHOLE GRAIN LAUNCHES UP 9% IN 2010
Another indication that whole grain momentum continues comes from Mintel's Global New Products Database. Thanks to an ongoing partnership with Mintel, we're able to post updates from their data on the WGC website. We've just received their end-of-2010 data and are happy to report that worldwide launches of new whole grain products increased 9% in 2010, as compared to 2009. Check our Whole Grain Statistics page  for this and other handy data when you're writing press releases or otherwise looking for context for your own whole grain efforts.

BIG INCREASE IN WHOLE GRAINS FOR U.S. SCHOOLS   
Last week the Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture published proposed new rules for healthier school meals in the United States. Among other things, the rules would require that, by about August 2012, at least half of the grains in school lunches should be "whole grain rich." Two years later, in time for the start of the 2014-15 school year, all grain foods would be required to be "whole grain rich." In the proposal published in the Federal Register (and further clarified for us by USDA / FNS staffers) "whole grain rich" means that at least 51% of the grain in a food is whole grain.

At the moment, whole grains are encouraged in the federal school lunch program, but are not actually required. Many schools serve plenty of delicious whole grains nonetheless -- just because it's the right thing to do for our kids -- but this long-overdue update in the school lunch requirements will make more whole grains available to kids everywhere. If you want to take advantage of the new requirements, start planning now, while the proposed rules go through a 90-day public comment period and then proceed to final rule-making. You can download and read the proposed rules on the WGC website.

WGC HELPS MEMBERS MARKET NEW PRODUCTS
A few months back, we welcomed McDonald's as a new member of the Whole Grains Council, then partnered with them to support the nationwide launch of their new Fruit and Maple Oatmeal. A reminder to all our members: if you're launching a new product and you'd like the WGC to contribute a quote on the health benefits of whole grains for your press materials, just contact Cynthia Harriman (603-436-1608) or Kara Berrini (617-896-4880).

We have done this frequently in the past for several of our members. We're also happy to review your marketing and collateral materials for accuracy, when you're writing about whole grains. These extra services are included in your WGC membership at no extra charge. We don't endorse one product over another, but we're always glad to assist on the general message of whole grains and health.

SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR TRADESHOWS & MARKETING
While we're on the topic of how we can support your marketing efforts with whole grains, we'd also like to remind you that we have buttons, posters, stickers, signs and postcards available for members. You can check out all these materials on the WG website, which also includes information about how to order. We just took delivery on a new stash of posters, to be ready for the busy trade show season coming up. Materials are available at no charge to WGC members (though we ask you to pay shipping if you order really large amounts).

OLDWAYS UPDATE: SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS ON PASTA
In 2004, in the depths of the low-carb craze, Oldways (the parent organization of the WGC) came to the rescue of pasta with a successful campaign called "Pasta Fights Back." We gathered scientists from around the world and set the record straight, with peer-reviewed medical research showing that pasta, due to the molecular structure of its starches, is a healthy low-glycemic-index food. And it only gets healthier as part of a balanced pasta meal, where pasta (preferably whole grain!) is topped with a generous mound of vegetables, small bits of fish, meat, cheese, or beans, and a dollop of olive oil.

Recently, Oldways updated the science of the healthy pasta meal with a Scientific Consensus Conference in Rio de Janeiro in late October. We gathered 17 scientists from 13 countries, who presented new research showing that carbs are not uniquely responsible for overweight; how pasta meals and other low-glycemic foods may help control blood sugar and weight especially in overweight people; and how healthy pasta meals are a delicious way to eat more vegetables, legumes and other healthy foods often underconsumed. You can download the resulting Scientific Consensus Statement or the Rio presentations from the Oldways website.

Oldways is often asked, "Why does Oldways champion pasta specifically?" We do it because we're big advocates of the importance of total diet. Our love affair, in fact, is with the healthy pasta meal, simply because it's an affordable way to eat a balanced diet, in endless cultural variations popular around the world - and because we love setting the scientific record straight when fad diets skew the story!

SEE YOU SOON IN PORTLAND, OREGON!
We're looking forward to seeing many of you in less than two weeks, at our Whole Grains: the New Norm conference January 31-February 2. Thanks to the generosity of our many sponsors (take a look!), we've been able to plan a jam-packed program of thought-provoking information, good food, and great networking in Portland.  It's an ideal way to meet other WGC members, chefs, distributors, and health professionals, all working together to increase consumption of whole grains. We hope you're planning to join us!

Best regards from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
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Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council