New Research Shows Consumers Mistakenly Believe All Whole-Grain Foods Provide a Good Source of Dietary Fiber

A new study published in the journal Nutrition Today shows that whole-grain foods do not always provide the fiber consumers expect.

6 Jun 2012 --- Foods with "whole grain" labels are exploding in popularity, in large part because many consumers believe that whole grain foods provide a good source of dietary fiber.(1) Yet a new study published in the journal Nutrition Today shows that whole-grain foods do not always provide the fiber consumers expect.

"The good news is that consumers continue to look for ways to increase the amount of fiber in their diets," said lead author Betsy Hornick, M.S., R.D, lead author of a three-part series on "The Fiber Deficit" appearing in Nutrition Today. "The bad news is that many consumers mistakenly believe all whole-grain foods provide the added fiber they are looking for. But just because a food has a 'whole-grain' label does not necessarily mean that it is a good source of fiber."

Part Two of the research series, "Consumer Misperceptions About Whole Grains and Fiber: A Call for Improving Whole Grain Labeling and Education," shows that nearly 85 percent of consumers surveyed who choose foods with a "whole-grain" label assume those foods are a good or excellent source of fiber. Yet the researchers analyzed a variety of products with whole-grain claims and found that the fiber content varied widely.

"Americans can increase their intake of fiber by making informed choices when it comes to the foods they eat," said DeAnn Liska, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition science at Kellogg Company and the series co-author. "One way they can do this is 'flip to the fiber,' or study the nutrition guidelines on labels to make sure those foods are at least a 'good' source of fiber, providing 3 grams or more."

To help consumers meet their fiber needs, Kellogg offers more ready-to-eat cereals that provide at least a good source of fiber and 8 grams of whole grains than any other U.S. food company, including Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Froot Loops and Apple Jacks.

The abstract of this article is available at http://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/Abstract/2012/05000/The_Fiber_Deficit,_Part_II___Consumer.7.aspx