Whole Grain Stamp called
Packaging Innovation of the Year


October 4, 2006 – The Whole Grain Stamp has been chosen as the “Packaging Innovation of the Year” by Baking Management magazine. “The Whole Grain Stamp eliminates confusion over whole grain content,” said editors of the magazine, in announcing the award. This award is a new honor, which Baking Management added to its annual leadership awards in order to recognize the unprecedented success of the Whole Grain Stamp program.

The Whole Grain Stamp was created by Oldways and the Whole Grains Council to help consumers quickly and easily identify legitimate whole grain foods. First introduced in January of 2005, the Stamp’s increasingly-familiar black-and-gold graphic now appears on over 800 products in grocery stores across the nation. Since June 2006, the Stamp has included the number of grams of whole grain content, to provide even more information to consumers.

Over 130 companies are members of the Whole Grains Council, and have the right to use the Whole Grain Stamp on their qualifying products. Products must contain at least 8 grams (half a serving) or more of whole grain to qualify.

Announcing the award in its September issue, Baking Management interviewed several Whole Grains Council members about their reasons for using the Stamp. Here are some excerpts:

“We were finding in our consumer research groups that consumers want whole grains, but they were confused,” says Melissa Dunning, marketing director of Aunt Millie’s / Perfection Bread. “I heard about the stamp on ‘Oprah’ and after national-level publicity, we thought this would be a terrific way to help consumer sclear up their confusion looking for whole grain products.”

Similar to Dunning, John DePaolis of Country Choice Organic says the stamp is a tool that helps educate consumers. “The opportunity to call it out in one simple icon is beneficial,” adds DePaolis.

Victoria Hartman, VP of Sales and Marketing for Charter Baking, uses the stamp on her company’s Rudi’s Organic and The Baker brands because “we want consumers to know that our breads can help them meet their daily servings of whole grains.”

Click here to read the full text of the Baking Management awards article.


For more information contact:


Courtney Davis
Media Manager, Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
(617) 896-4888
courtney@oldwayspt.org


Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
266 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116
Tel (617) 421-5500
www.oldwayspt.org