Press release: The Whole Grain Initiative launches the first International Whole Grain Day and calls to take whole grain seriously

Vienna, 19.11.2019: The Whole Grain Initiative, a partnership of leading international organisations dedicated to promoting whole grain, is calling on EU Member States to prioritise whole grain in their national dietary guidelines, to increase the consumption of whole grain.

International Whole Grain Day is launched today and aims to highlight the positive impact of whole grain on nutrition, wellbeing, and sustainability. To inaugurate the first edition of International Whole Grain Day, The Whole Grain Initiative will be hosting a launch event at the European Parliament in Brussels alongside MEP Elsi Katainen (FI, Vice-Chair of AGRI Committee). The event will look at how policymakers and stakeholders can work together to encourage more people to ‘make their grains whole’ as part of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns.

Michaela Pichler, Originator of the Whole Grain Initiative said, “The benefits of whole grain are well documented but, sadly, people still aren’t getting enough in their daily diets. This isn’t a problem we can solve on our own. We need to combine forces and help people to make whole grain a part of their lives. The Whole Grain Initiative is a chance for us to work with international stakeholders and explore ways how policy makers can start taking whole grain seriously. We’re excited to stimulate a conversation at EU policy level, and act as an incubator for exchanging whole grain good practices, knowledge and global initiatives to mobilise a whole grain movement.”

The panel brings together a number of leading stakeholders and Member States comprising the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC), National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland, European Public Health Alliance, Slovenian Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises and the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation.

Whilst there is no universally aligned recommended daily intake for whole grain, experts agree that we need to significantly increase our intakes. Studies from the EU suggest the majority of Europeans eats less than one serving of whole grain per day[1].

“There are a number of things we can do to increase whole grain in our diets, but our first priority needs to be education” said Ms Pichler. “We need to help consumers understand the benefits of whole grain, where they can find it, and easy and quick ways to add it to their diet.”

For more information on whole grain, visit the Whole Grain Initiative Website : http://www.wholegraininitiative.org

 

- ENDS -

 

[1] http://healthgrain.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/EU-JRC-Scientific-brief-on-Whole-Grains_.pdf

 

Notes to editors

 

About the Whole Grain Initative

The Whole Grain Initiative brings together key stakeholders from around the world, including many NGOs, academics and associations that share the same interest to increase whole grain intake.

On 19th November 2019, they are organising a launch event entitled “Take Whole Grain Seriously! Make your grains whole: for your and the planet’s health”, co-hosted by MEP Katainen (FI, Vice-Chair of AGRI Committee). The event will run from 15:00 to 17:00, at the European Parliament in Brussels. Click here for more information on the agenda. 

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1st International Whole Grain Day - 19th November - Take Wholegrain seriously!

The first edition of the International Whole Grain Day on 19th November aims at celebrating the positive impact of whole grain on nutrition, wellbeing and sustainability. The event will look at how policymakers and stakeholders can work together to encourage more people to “make their grains whole” as part of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns, via a moderated, interactive panel discussion. The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception. 

The objectives and key themes of the event are: 

  • Encourage more people to “make their grains whole” as part of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns.
  • Act as an incubator for exchanging whole grain good practices, knowledge and initiatives across Europe to create an EU whole grain movement.
  • Create enabling environments from farm to fork, so consumers can better access healthier, affordable, convenient and delicious whole grain products.
  • Nudge consumers into making whole grain a daily habit via the promotion of meaningful whole grain recommendations in National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. 
  • Call on the EU and national governments to implement nutrition policies that address whole grain policy gaps (i.e. labelling and recommended intakes) and create enabling environments to support healthy, tasty and sustainable dietary switches. 
  • Request official endorsement of the International Whole Grain Day 2019 and the subsequent yearly editions (2020 +)

Read more about the Whole Grain Initiative at http://www.wholegraininitiative.org/en/1862-activities 

19th November is International Whole Grain Day

SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday the 19th November, it's International Whole Grain Day, a whole day to know more about whole grain and discover how good it can be for you.

The International Whole Grain Day, aims at highlighting the impact of wholegrain consumption on nutrition, well-being and sustainability for healthier lives and planet, and further calls on the political community to better manage this issue.

 HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE?

 Promote the International Wholegrain Day through your website, within your network and social media channels.

How? Please follow the International Whole Grain Initiative on Twitter and Instagram:

As a first step you may wish to post the Internatoinal Whole Grain Day Logo entitled "A Whole Day for

Whole Grain" on your website or social media channels. Please feel free to download the logo here.

 Use the following #hashtags when promoting the International Whole Grain Day: 

       #internationalWGDay #makeyourgrainswhole #choosewholegrains

  • Issue a Press Release on the occasion of International Whole Grain Day to help us to spread the whole grain message.
  • Act as an incubator for exchanging whole grain good practices by hosting or organising next editions of the International Whole Grain Day and/or by organising workshops with the aim of transferring knowledge and experiences and participate to this global wholegrain movement.

 Please share your interest in supporting the International Whole Grain Day by contacting us so we can support your efforts and provide further material and information!

ICBC2020 - Registration now open!

The ICBC2020 will be organised together with the Lincoln University and will feature plenary and concurrent sessions embracing the challenges and opportunities facing the cereal science community, poster displays and competitions, industry focused workshops, a trade display for equipment and food manufacturing as well as a networking dinner for all our contributors to develop long lasting collaborations throughout the world. There will also be the opportunity to participate on study tours to acquaint yourself with the culture, food and environment of New Zealand.
 
Themes for this event include:

  • Cereal nutrition for health-conscious consumers
  • Food safety and security
  • Sustainable agricultural technology systems
  • Milling and bread making technology
  • Novel processing techniques for extrusion and biscuit making
  • Noodle quality and acceptability
  • Wholegrains, their definition and utilisation in foods
  • Molecular approaches to grain breeding
  • Global supply chain and trade
  • Alternative grain crops
  • Analytical methods for quality determination
  • Consumer perception of grain-based foods

A selection of the confirmed speakers are:

  • Cristina Rosell, Spanish National Research Centre, Spain
  • Bin Xiao Fu, Canadian Grain Commission, Canada
  • Donatella Peressini, University of Udine, Italy
  • Guy Della Valle, INRA, France


Online registration is now open - benefit from the early bird registration!

Abstract submission is open - present your work and submit your abstract


Looking to put your company and its competences in the focus of the cereal science and technology sector? Check the conference webpage for detailed information or contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for tailormade solutions!

Draft Programme available: IV International Conference "The Quality of Grain, Flour and Bread" in Moscow

We are pleased to announce that the DRAFT PROGRAMME for the upcoming IV International Conference "The Quality of Grain, Flour and Bread" is available.

Conference topics will be:

  • The quality of grain in different countries of the world
  • Breeding and seed production: The current state and future development
  • Innovative technologies and equipment for post-harvest processing
  • Current issues of technical regulation and standardisation
  • Safety of grain, products of its processing and bakery products
  • The role of cereal products in healthy nutrition
  • Training of industry experts and professional development
Find all event details at http://www.grainfood.ru/conference/mukaeng 
 
We look forward to meeting you in Moscow!