Whole-grain food consumption impacted by consumer skepticism and lack of labeling standard

Despite numerous health benefits and recommendations from dietary guidelines, whole-grain food intake remains low globally. A research article 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く featured in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く, published by Elsevier, studies consumer understanding of whole-grain food definitions and industry labeling practices.

"Without clear regulation and labeling standards, the benefits of educating consumers on how to increase whole-grain intake may be lost," says lead author Katrina R. Kissock, PhD, APD, School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. "This study supports the need for a global whole-grain labeling system based on standardized definitions to help consumers make informed food purchases."

This study recruited consumers with flyers in community locations as well as through social media. The resulting ten focus groups were asked open-ended questions on four topics: grain food choices and whole-grain consumption; identification of whole-grain foods; perception of labeling; and opinions on hypothetical package labels. In addition, 17 food industry representatives, including dietitians, food scientists, marketers, and regulatory personnel, were recruited by direct email to examine awareness and understanding of whole-grain food definitions and regulations; hypothetical adoption of whole-grain food definitions by the food industry; and how definition adoption might impact consumers.

During focus group discussions, skepticism significantly impacted consumer understanding and consequently grain choices. The consumer focus groups expressed skepticism of grain food labeling, whole-grain content claims, symbols such as the Health Star Rating and marketing of products as healthy. Consumer comments included, “I don’t know how much whole grain a product has to have to get a label. Does it mean 5% or 3%?” and “I don’t have any idea what 16 grams of whole grain per serving means.”

When looking at hypothetical labels, consumers had a strong preference towards use of whole grain within the name of the product as opposed to a separate and generic whole-grain content claim not in the name of the product, e.g., ”contains whole grain.” Industry representatives generally did not think consumers noticed that level of nuance in front of package labeling. A simple statement of the percentage of whole grain in a product was considered clear and easy to understand by consumers, and industry representatives agreed that the current percentages used by the Whole Grain Initiative definition were appropriate. Both consumers and food industry representatives identified problems with current labeling of whole-grain foods and highlighted the need for clear, consistent labeling.

“It was evident that limited consumer understanding and confusion related to whole-grain foods contributed to skepticism, perceptions of healthfulness, and buying decisions,” concludes Dr. Kissock. “Definitions, regulations and consumer education are strategies that could improve consumption of whole-grain foods.”

---

Notes for editors

The article is "Knowledge, Messaging, and Selection of Whole-Grain Foods: Consumer and Food Industry Perspectives," by Katrina R. Kissock, PhD, APD; Elizabeth P. Neale, PhD, AdvAPD; and Eleanor J. Beck, PhD, FDA (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.006 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く). It will appear in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, volume 54, issue 12 (December 2022), published by Elsevier. The article is openly available at https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(22)00486-9/fulltext 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く.

Full text of the article is also available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Eileen Leahy at +1 732 238 3628 or [email protected] 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く to obtain a copy. To schedule an interview with the authors, please contact Dr. Kissock at [email protected] 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く.

An audio podcast featuring an interview with Dr. Kissock and other information for journalists are available at www.jneb.org/content/media 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く. Excerpts from the podcast may be reproduced by the media with permission from Eileen Leahy.

About the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB)

Advancing Research, Practice and Policy

The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く (JNEB), the official journal of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB), is a refereed, scientific periodical that serves as a resource for all professionals with interest in nutrition education and dietary/physical activity behaviors. The purpose of JNEB is to document and disseminate original research, emerging issues, and practices relevant to nutrition education and behavior worldwide and to promote healthy, sustainable food choices. It supports the Society's efforts to disseminate innovative nutrition education strategies, and communicate information on food, nutrition, and health issues to students, professionals, policymakers, targeted audiences, and the public.

The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior features articles that provide new insights and useful findings related to nutrition education research, practice, and policy. The content areas of JNEB reflect the diverse interests of health, nutrition, education, Cooperative Extension, and other professionals working in areas related to nutrition education and behavior. As the Society's official journal, JNEB also includes policy statements, issue perspectives, and member communications.

エルゼビアについて

エルゼビアは情報分析を専門としたグローバル企業として、研究者や医療専門家の方々を支援し、社会にとっての利益最大化に向けて、科学や医療の進展を支えています。これは、信頼できるエビデンスによるコンテンツと高度なAI対応によるデジタル技術に基づく革新的なソリューションにより、知見の集積や重要な意思決定を支援することで実現されています。

エルゼビアは、全世界で9,700人の従業員（うち技術者2,300人以上）を抱え、140年以上にわたって、研究者、図書館員、アカデミックリーダー、資金提供者、政府、研究開発集約型企業、医師、看護師、将来の医療専門家、教育者など研究・医療分野におけるパートナーの重要な活動を支援してきました。エルゼビアが刊行する3,000誌以上の科学ジャーナルと代表的な参考書には、The Lancet 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開く、Cell Press 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開くおよびGray’s Anatomyなどをはじめとする、各分野を代表する主要なタイトルが含まれています。 エルゼビア・ファンデーション 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開くとの活動を通し、私たちがサービスを提供する地域社会と連携して、開発途上国を含む世界中の医学、研究、医療分野における、インクルージョン＆ダイバーシティ（I&D）の改善に努めています。

エルゼビアは、専門家および企業向けの情報分析および意思決定ツールのグローバルプロバイダーであるRELX Group 新しいタブ／ウィンドウで開くの一事業を担っています。エルゼビアの事業内容、デジタルソリューション、コンテンツなどの詳細については、www.elsevier.comをご覧ください。