Milling & Baking News - September 28, 2004 - 27

W A S H I N G T O N

Faga, Adams decry disapproving
tone toward enriched grains
Continued from Page 1
of the Foundation for the Advancement
of Grain Based Foods. The testimony was
Ms. Adams' first since assuming the helm
of the foundation. Ms. Adams also defended the importance of enriched grains.
Given that consumers'
grasp of whole grains is
limited, Ms. Faga began her
testimony by neatly distinguishing four categories of
grain products:
* Whole-grain products
contain the endosperm,
bran and germ in amounts
proportional to how they
occur in the unprocessed
grain kernel.
* Refined
unenriched
grain products have the germ and bran
removed with only the endosperm remaining. She noted that these products
account for less than 5% of the white flour
milled in the United States. It is used primarily for organic and artisan products.
* Enriched/fortified grain products are
refined products with the three major B vitamins and iron replaced in equal amounts
to those in whole grains. They are fortified
with folic acid in amounts about double
what is found in whole-grain products.
This category accounts for about 95% of
white flour milled in the United States.
* Other fortified grain products are
those with a variety of minerals and vitamins not defined by any set standards
in various amounts.
The disparity between the primary
position of enriched grains and incidental position of refined grains in the
American diet was emphasized by Ms.
Adams in her remarks.
"We highly commend the committee
for recognizing the value of wholegrain foods in the diet and the need
for the consumer to triple their current

slices of grain products daily, including 3
servings of whole-grain products.'"
Ms. Adams reminded the committee
of the specific health benefits brought
consumption level," Ms. Adams said. about by enrichment:
"However, in the section on carboa) Most of the Baby Boomers and suchydrates in the committee's report, ceeding generations have never heard of
enriched grains are never mentioned. pellagra and beriberi, two diseases that
Refined grains are mentioned twice, have been eradicated by enriched grains.
however, refined wheat flour makes up
b) Since 1998, when the F.D.A. mandated that enriched grains
be fortified with folic acid,
'In the process it is critical
neural tube birth defects have
decreased almost 30% in the
to retain a positive view of
U.S., 50% in Canada and 41%
enriched grain products so the
in Chile, two other countries
consumer does not believe it is
who also began this public
health initiative.
detrimental to eat them.'
c) Neuroblastomas, a
- Elizabeth A. Faga, North
deadly brain cancer in inAmerican Millers' Association
fants, have decreased 60%
in Canada during the same
period. This also has been atabout 5% of the total white flour milled tributed to folic acid fortification.
in the U.S., while enriched white flour
d) In a paper given at the American
comprises approximately 95%."
Heart Association conference in March
Ms. Faga also emphasized the mill- 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and
ers' support for the idea of encouraging Prevention gave F.D.A.'s mandated fortigreater consumption of whole grains.
fication of folic acid credit for preventing
"In the process it is critical to retain a 31,000 annual deaths from stroke and
positive view of enriched grain products 17,000 annual deaths from heart disease.
so the consumer does not believe it is
"If Americans were to quit consuming
detrimental to eat them," Ms. Faga said. enriched grain foods and fortified cereals,
"In an effort to promote whole-grain what would happen to the favorable staproducts there is a tendency to denigrate tistics just quoted?" Ms. Adams continued,
enriched grain products in the process. noting that few whole grains are fortified
We, therefore, strongly encourage you to with folic acid.
make statements that are positive to both
Emphasizing the need for the federal
whole and enriched grain products.
government to communicate a consis"A statement in the document that ac- tent message, Ms. Faga reminded the
knowledges the historical benefits of en- U.S.D.A. and the H.H.S. that the fortiriched and fortified grains in the Ameri- fication of enriched products with folic
can diet would help accomplish that acid was mandated by the Food and
objective. The current statement 'aim for Drug Administration.
at least 3 servings of whole grains/day,
"The Center for Disease Control has
preferably by substituting whole grains undertaken a universal flour fortificafor refined grains' has already been por- tion initiative that encourages enrichtrayed negatively in the news media. A ment of flour worldwide," she said. "It is
more positive way of making the same incumbent on the Dietary Guidelines be
point would be 'aim for 5 to 10 ounces/ consistent with this messaging." MBN

Home Grown plans to trumpet farmers'
contributions, need for ag policy
WASHINGTON - Eight agricultural
groups have joined forces to create
Home Grown, a public information effort
that seeks to educate Americans on the
benefits of farming and American farm
policy.
"Home Grown is not just about farmers who grow wheat, cotton, rice or any
other single commodity," said Mark Gage,
president of the National Association of
Wheat Growers. "With the full spectrum
of agriculture involved, we will be 2 mil28 / Milling & Baking News, September 28, 2004

lion unified voices sharing the stories of
modern-day farming families and the
benefits they provide to our country."
Home Grown will conduct activities
in and outside of Washington. Members
eventually plan to have other components
such as programs to educate school children in large cities, point-of-purchase education materials and a communications
resource center for agricultural producers.
Farming families in the United States
provide 92% of the country's food and

fiber, Home Grown said.
"We want to make sure people have the
right picture in their minds about farming and agriculture," said Dee Vaughan,
a Texas farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association. "They
need to know that food in America is the
most affordable in the world thanks to a
strong federal farm policy and the highly
efficient way U.S. farmers work.
"Americans need to know ... the small
contribution of taxpayer dollars - about
4c per meal - supports a food and fiber
industry that employs more than 20 million Americans." MBN
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Milling & Baking News - September 28, 2004

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