A 2024 report from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority found that more than 25% of whole grain products examined in the Netherlands have inaccurate labels.

Not surprisingly, consumers are wary of manufacturers who self-report whole grain content. Yet policymakers who push for mandatory whole grain labeling are pushing for just that – a system in which industry regulates themselves and makes their own whole grain claims without review or oversight.

Unlike nutrient claims, like “low fat”, whole grain claims cannot be externally verified with a quick lab test, as no such test exists. Instead, determining whole grain content requires expertise in what counts as a whole grain versus a refined grain and what doesn’t count as a grain at all. The nuances between whole and refined grains, their individual nutritional profiles, and how they are classified according to different government programs and standards of identity falls outside the typical training of many packaging developers, leading to the inaccuracies that the Netherlands report addressed if left unchecked.

As a third-party certifier, the Whole Grain Stamp takes the guesswork out of the equation for manufacturers and consumers alike ensuring consistent, accurate labeling information. Our Whole Grain Stamp program review process requires that our team of whole grain experts individually reviews each and every application submitted.

In our review process, some common corrections that we address include making sure that non-grain ingredients, like flax seeds and chia seeds, are not counted as whole grain ingredients, and making sure that refined grain ingredients like vital wheat gluten and cornstarch are correctly counted as such. As more consumers desire whole grain products, it is critical that whole grains claims are consistent and certified for accuracy, because incorrect or inconsistent claims would erode consumer trust.

Our hard work, transparency, and consistency has paid off. We are proud to have developed a certification program that consumers trust. The average consumer may not know much about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the whole-grain rich requirements for school lunches, but our recent Consumer Insights Survey found that the vast majority of consumers (85%) trust the Whole Grain Stamp.

Importantly, our survey also found that front-of-pack claims made by the manufacturer are not enough. More than half of consumers are skeptical of whole grain claims made without the certification offered by the Whole Grain Stamp. If you’re wandering the grocery aisles trying to find products that contain whole grains, look for the 100% Stamp, the 50%+ Stamp, or the Basic Stamp, and be sure to check the gram amount listed on the Stamp graphic to see how much whole grain is in the product. (Kelly)

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