It's Working

The Whole Grain Stamp is successful and sought by consumers who are trying to improve their health by eating more whole grains.

Evidence for the success of the Whole Grain Stamp as a consumer awareness tool is growing. This page explains the market penetration of the Whole Grain Stamp and details just a few indications of its success.

Market Penetration of the Whole Grain Stamp

As of November 2024, the Whole Grain Stamp is now on
• almost 13,000 different products
• in 65 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives (Republic of), Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands (Kingdom of), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
• By 348 WGC member companies based in 26 countries.
• At last count, 34% of all Stamped products can be found outside the United States.

Consumer emails praise the Stamp

Consumers write us regularly to tell us they count on the Stamp to help them make healthier food choices. Here’s one of our favorites:

“I just want to thank your company for the work you do. When I became pregnant, I bought the book ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’. In the book is a strong emphasis on the need to consume 6-8 servings of a variety of whole grains every day for optimal fetal health.

It has been quite a bit of work for me to try and find products that not only contain whole grains, but also have them in a quantity that makes it worth while to purchase them. Having the ‘whole grain’ stamp has made it much easier for me to find these products. I especially like having the exact gram count per serving listed on these stamps. I’m glad someone out there is working to help the rest of us eat like we should. Thank you.”
Angela W.

Survey shows 79% of consumers trust Stamp; it’s a key factor in buying decisions

Consumers are often skeptical of sales copy on packages and too rushed to read the fine print of the nutrition facts panel and ingredients list — which in any event do not give clear guidance on whole grain content. The distinctive gold and black Whole Grain Stamp is identifiable at a glance and offers a consistent, trustworthy beacon to consumers across brands. In fact our 2015 Whole Grain Consumer Insights Survey showed that 79% of consumers trust the Stamp to be accurate.

Two-thirds of dietitians recommend wg stamp

According to a report published in the April 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the most common packaging symbol dietitians recommend to their clients is the Whole Grain Stamp. Of those RDs utilizing packaging symbols in their practice, a full 67.9% of Registered Dietitians (RDs) counsel their clients to look for the Stamp.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, April 2010; 110(4):517-9

Hartman Group Reports high awareness and trust

A December 2007 report from the Hartman Group titled “Label Reading from a Consumer Perspective,” which asked consumers questions about 13 packaging symbols, found that 60% of shoppers are aware of the Whole Grain Stamp, and that the Stamp is more trusted than all other tested symbols except the Heart Check, the USDA Organic Symbol, and standard Recycling symbols.

Consumer Focus Groups: “Helpful and Meaningful”

Consumer focus groups held by Perfection Bakeries in October 2006 in three midwest cities questioned shoppers about the Whole Grain Stamp.

These adults, who were the primary grocery shopper for their household and who regularly purchased breads (other than store brand) from the bread aisle of their grocery store…

• associated the Whole Grain Stamp with being healthy, and

• thought that it carried helpful and meaningful information.

The majority of participants believed the Stamp was reason to at least “make me pick it up and look at it” and that it would be a difference maker when they were trying to decide between two similar products.

Harris Survey: “More likely to buy”

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Uncle Ben’s found that the majority of consumers said that seeing the Whole Grain Stamp on a package would make them more likely to buy that food product. This shows that the Stamp is meeting its goal of helping consumers find whole grain products.

Bob’s Red Mill: Early Consumer Awareness

Bob’s Red Mill, the first company to adopt the Stamp widely for retail sales, compared sales of 10 whole grain SKUs using the Stamp to the balance of whole grain SKUs not yet using the Stamp. Over a four-month period, sales of the ten SKUs with the Stamp were up 8% more than overall sales of the non-Stamped SKUs – even at a time when the Stamp was not yet widely known among consumers.

The Whole Grains Council is dedicated to practical, effective programs that help consumers improve their health.