Milling & Baking News - February 3, 2004 - 17

N U T R I T I O N

A N D

H E A L T H

Dietary Guidelines panel focuses
on ﬁber from enriched products
Continued from Page 1
committee meeting.
The white paper was prepared by
Dr. Karin Kratina of the University of
Florida through the nutrition education
program of the A.B.A.
Dr. Eric Hentges, executive director
of the Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told the advisory committee
that the center received more than 1,100
comments in response to a Federal Register notice posing proposed revisions in
the Food Guide Pyramid.
"The public's response was clear and
to the point," Dr. Hentges said. "With all
the popular diet and weight loss plans
that we see today, what the public wants
from us is direct, common-sense advice
on what and how much to eat."
Among the key issues related to
grain-based foods is one recommending
that whole grains and "other grains" be
consumed in equal quantities. The current Dietary Guidelines recommend that
consumers "choose a variety of grains
daily, especially whole grains."
Another major issue being considered
by the committee is whether the Dietary
Guidelines place too much emphasis on
grains.
In his review of comments submitted
on the Food Guide Pyramid, Dr. Hentges
said many noted the need to promote
physical activity and to include food
patterns for active as well as sedentary
individuals.
More comments addressed food in-

take patterns - the recommended consumption of various food groups - than
any other topic, he said. The most common comments suggested emphasizing
whole grains, differentiating between
types of fats and differentiating among
foods within the meat and beans group,
Dr. Hentges said.
There was widespread support for replacing "servings" per day with "cups"
and "ounces" in the dietary recommendations, he added.
Grain-based foods organizations, in
their Food Guide Pyramid comments to
the U.S.D.A., voiced strong support for
retaining grain products as the base of
the Pyramid and emphasized that any
changes in dietary recommendations
should be realistic (see Milling & Baking
News of Nov. 11, Page 1).
The Food Guide Pyramid and the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans are
being revised in a coordinated effort
involving the U.S.D.A. and the Department of Health and Human Services.
"As the revision process progresses,
we look forward to taking advantage
of current discussions and collaboration with the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee as we update and revise
U.S.D.A.'s food guidance system," Dr.
Hentges said. "It is the goal of the Department of Agriculture and the goal of
the advisory committee to provide the
American public with the best nutritional guidance based on the most current
science available."
Dr. Hentges said the next step will

I.B.A. president on Dateline NBC
defends grain-based foods
WASHINGTON - Nicholas A. Pyle,
president of the Independent Bakers Association, in an interview that aired Jan.
27 on Dateline NBC, called for Americans
to push aside extraneous noise regarding
the food industry and instead focus on
implementing a healthy and balanced
diet - one that includes bread.
In an interview with reporter Josh
Mankiewicz, Mr. Pyle detailed the challenges in defending baking from the attacks at the hands of low-carbohydrate
diets across the country and in doing so
eliminating the "dirty image" of carbohydrates.
"First and foremost, it's time to quit
making Americans a victim of the food
they eat," Mr. Pyle told NBC. "It's time
that people recognize the role of personal
18 / Milling & Baking News, February 3, 2004

responsibility in their dietary choices."
He continued, "I think it's important
that people not blame their obesity of being a victim of the foods that they eat."
In addition to Mr. Pyle, Mr. Mankiewicz interviewed Barbara Fairchild,
editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit magazine,
and David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital in
Boston. Ms. Fairchild partly blamed the
bread industry for failing to realize the
impact of low-carbohydrate diets.
"I think what the bread industry needed to do was take a look at the best seller
list," Ms. Fairchild said. "They were all
these low-carbohydrate books." She said
that "most of the bread in this country
that is created for the mass market is
really not very good" and added that

be to issue a second notice in the Federal Register by mid-year requesting
public comment on the development of
consumer communications, including
a graphic image to reﬂect the updated
food guidance system.
Robert Earl, senior director of nutrition policy for the National Food Processors Association, was among 24 persons
presenting oral testimony at last week's
advisory committee meeting.
"The N.F.P.A. strongly believes in science-based Dietary Guidelines and their
potential to make a signiﬁcant contribution
to promoting the health and well being of
Americans," he said. "However, in order
for the Dietary Guidelines to have an inﬂuence on public health, they must be easily
understood, easily implemented, and trigger behavioral change by the public."
Mr. Earl said the goal should be to
motivate and stimulate action on diet and
lifestyle by consumers. "Unless this goal is
reached, the Dietary Guidelines will not be
effective," he added. "In developing the
Dietary Guidelines, the 2005 advisory committee should focus more attention on the
needed balance between physical activity
and food intake. Expanding the physical
activity component in balance with positive 'how to eat' messages and guidance,
versus negative 'what to eat' is essential for
success in motivating the American public
toward healthy lifestyles."
The committee also was urged to
articulate the critical need for synergy
among the Dietary Guidelines, the Food
Guide Pyramid, and food labeling. "In
order to be effective, efforts to provide
nutrition education to the public must
work in concert to provide a consistent,
coordinated message," Mr. Earl said. MBN

she feels sorry for bakers who have been
selling "squishy, white bread."
"When we went to elementary school
and junior high that (squishy, white
bread) is what we had in our lunch
boxes," she said. "And now these are the
people who really failed to see this revolution coming. It has been a revolution.
And they're kind of stuck right now.
Stuck in the mud and stuck with a lot
of product that they have to ﬁgure out
what to do with and how to market."
Dr. Ludwig's comments centered on
the glycemic index, and its role in differentiating bad carbohydrates from good
carbohydrates. But Mr. Pyle cautioned
that consumers should not put too much
emphasis on the glycemic index.
"If you look at the glycemic index and
you're going to base your entire diet on
it," Mr. Pyle said, "you're telling me that
jelly beans are better for you than carrots
and I don't think that holds up."MBN
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Milling & Baking News - February 3, 2004

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