SPECIAL SECTION: Proceedings of the 2009 Cereals & Europe
Meeting: Whole Grain Global Summit
Grains for Health: A Look to the Past and Insights into the Future
Denise Hauge,1,2 Steve McCurry,3 Jodi Englson,3 Gary Fulcher,4 David Hesse,3 and Len Marquart1
The 2nd C&E Spring Meeting and 3rd International Whole
Grain Summit provided a venue to convene scientists and health
professionals from around the world to examine where we have
been and where we are going in the area of research on whole
grains, dietary fiber, and functional grain components. This series
of international whole grains meetings began with the 1st Whole
Grain Summit in Finland and continued with the Whole Grain
Summit in Minneapolis in 2005. Most recently, the Summit in
New Castle reconvened whole grain experts. These summits have
continued to build on the quantity and quality of scientific knowl-
edge disseminated. As we review the 2009 Whole Grain Summit
and discuss where we are going next, we will first look at a brief
historical perspective through a short “whole grain journey” par-
ticularly highlighting the last 15 years. Second, we will examine
several research milestones presented at the 2009 Summit that we
have achieved since the 2005 Whole Grain Summit in Minneapo-
lis, MN. Lastly, we will explore approaches for building a global
community for whole grains and health that will promote a deeper
awareness of what we should do and how we should conduct sci-
ence (Table I).
Grain researchers, especially when relating “whole grain” and
“health” have made strides in the last century to establish an asso-
ciation between whole grains and reduced risk for chronic disease
as reported in many observational studies (Liu et al 2003; Mur-
taugh et al 2003; Lutsey et al 2007). However, health research
related to whole grain intake still lags behind other superfood
categories such as soy and fruits and vegetables. A PubMed
search for “whole grain” returned 53 publications from the year
1993, 77 publications in 1997, 119 from 2001, 209 from 2005,
and 236 from 2009 (Fig. 1). While research concerning whole
grains has increased over the last decade and a half, whole grain
still has a long way to go to catch up to the depth of research that
has been done on fruits and vegetables and soy. In similar year-
specific searches of PubMed, neither fruits and vegetables nor soy
return many studies for the time period 1900-1992. However,
based on journal entries between the years of 1993-2009, fruits
and vegetables nearly tripled and soy approximately doubled in
quantity (Fig. 2).
The quantity of publications about whole grains increased be-
tween 1993 and the present, but lag behind fruits and vegetables
by nearly 10,000 total PubMed publications since 1900. Similarly,
whole grain journal publications lag behind soy by approximately
6,000 publications since 1900. This is a very crude measure of
research progress, but it demonstrates the lack of multidiscipli-
nary efforts to focus and prioritize grain research. We need these
1 University
of Minnesota, Food Science, St. Paul, MN.
2 Corresponding author. Phone: 763-360-6859. Fax: 612-625-5272. E-mail address:
ottxx064@umn.edu
3 Grains for Health Foundation, St. Paul, MN.
4 University of Manitoba, Department of Food Science, Winnipeg, MB.
doi:10.1094 / CCHEM-87-2-0155
© 2010 AACC International, Inc.
Cereal Chem. 87(2):155–158
investigations to continue to understand various issues relating
whole grains and health such as how to measure chemical com-
pounds in the whole grain and also how to measure the relevant
biological response. By using grain research dollars wisely, we
can increase both the quantity and quality of research as the field
continues to expand. Researchers studying whole grains and
health can potentially serve as a model for others trying to under-
stand the biological effects of chemically complex foods or ingre-
dients.
A 1990’s revival of whole grains and health begins our whole
grain journey. In 1993, Alta Engstrom, a former Director of Nutri-
tion at General Mills, initiated a whole grain meeting involving
government, industry, and academia. This began the initial drive
to establish a whole grain health claim in the United States in
1999 and to provide sufficient data to support a recommendation
for the Dietary Guidelines. This slowly evolved from 1995 as a
mere mention of whole grains to a major recommendation in the
2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: one-half of all grain serv-
ings should be consumed as whole grain. Around the same time,
Europe initiated the Nordic Industrial Consortium with the Nordic
“Rye and Health” Research Consortium (1994). In 2001, Kaisa
Poutanen and her colleagues convened the 1st International whole
grains meeting in Porvoo, Finland. At this time, initial discussions
regarding the HEALTHGRAIN Project were conceived and
HEALTHGRAIN subsequently kicked-off in 2005 (http://www.
healthgrain.org/pub/). During this same year, over 400 scientists
and health professionals were brought together for the 2nd Inter-
national Whole Grain Conference in Minneapolis, MN (Marquart
et al 2007).
The 2005 Whole Grain Summit brought together scientists,
educators, food technologists, producers, marketers, health pro-
fessionals, and regulators. The conference focused on whole-grain
research and, specifically, the impact of whole grains on health.
Potential strategies that might influence their consumption were
also discussed. The conference objectives were to review recent
data on whole grains and health; set research priorities; identify
barriers to consumption; and evaluate effective means for whole-
grain message communication.
Summary of 2005 Whole Grain Summit Recommendations
and Outcomes Since 2005
During the program in 2005, representatives from various areas
of focus created a list of recommendations for advancing whole
grain research efforts and encouraging greater utilization and
consumption. The focused recommendations in three key areas
were 1) biological science and health—research unique sub-
stances and biological mechanisms by which whole grains affect
health; 2) consumer research—increase the learning and interest
in whole grains among stakeholders and consumers; and 3) edu-
cation, and grain science and technology—expand knowledge of
whole grains and develop new whole grain products.
Table I gives a brief overview of advances in the biological sci-
ences, consumer and regulatory areas, and technology from 2005
to 2009. It highlights specific areas of progress presented during
Vol. 87, No. 2, 2010 155
the 2009 Summit as they relate to the outcome recommendations
from the 2005 Summit. Many other milestones have occurred
between the summits, and other relevant research was presented
during the 2009 Summit. Table I offers only a snapshot of the
many abstracts presented in Newcastle.
Where We Are
Around the globe, various government agencies, health-related
organizations, and activist groups are all proactively asking for
change in the food supply to promote human health. Massachu-
setts has recently followed New York City and California by re-
quiring certain restaurants to post caloric content of foods on their
menu boards (Barron 2008; Winstein 2009). Activist organiza-
tions such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest are
championing increased taxes on unhealthy foods such as beer,
soft drinks, and others, while calling for drastic reductions to so-
dium content of the food supply (CSPI 2009a,b). The European
Commission EUROPA (2008) is in the process of label regulation
change to help consumers address obesity and chronic disease
prevention by making better nutrition choices. Australia’s Preven-
tative Health Taskforce is expected to recommend no advertising
of unhealthy foods or alcohol on television between 6 a.m. and 9
p.m. in an effort to eliminate these products being advertised to
children (Australia 2009).
We are at a crossroads where we must choose between our cur-
rent models or develop our vision and strategic plan to position
the grain industry as the leader in promoting human health. Rec-
ommendations should be proactive, rooted in scientific evidence,
and grounded in practical advice through systematic and collabo-
rative contributions from various sectors and a wide variety of
disciplines.
What We Will Do
By working together, our goal is to focus, prioritize, and lever-
age research dollars to gradually transform the food supply and
target complex public health issues such as childhood obesity,
Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. We must first create a viable
infrastructure to develop, deliver, and increase consumer intake of
added-value grain-based foods, replacing less healthy options to
promote public health. It seems prudent to help facilitate the re-
design of the food supply gradually over the course of the next 15
years. With industry, academia, government, and others working
together, more grain-based foods that are higher in whole grain
and dietary fiber and lower in calories, fat, and sodium will be
readily available to consumers. One outcome of this collaborative
initiative is preventing complex public health issues by reducing
the incidence of chronic diseases. While performing grain re-
search based on improving foods available throughout the supply
chain, a gradual approach to change could have a significant im-
pact toward improving health.
To provide the initiative and innovation to make these processes
possible, future health, science, and business professionals will
need to learn to think about and communicate across the supply
chain. By training students to think globally and across disci-
plines, they learn to work together to solve the world’s complex
public health issues. Realigning reward systems for those who
administer and instruct at the undergraduate and graduate levels is
an effective way to encourage this transition in training.

TABLE I
Summary of Recommendations from Whole Grains & Health: A Global Summit in 2005 and Highlight of Progress
Reported at C&E Spring Meeting 2009: Whole Grain Global Summita
Focus Area 2005 Recommendations* 2009 Progress**
Biological Science and Health • Establish the long-term effects of increasing WG • Alkylresorcinols (AR) reviewed as a valid dietary
intake on risk of developing chronic diseases. biomarker of rye and wheat intake and may be es-
pecially useful in populations where WG intake is
• Evaluate parts of WG to determine which compo- relatively constant.
nents improve health.
• The current body of observational and interven-
• Develop biomarkers for specific grains and grain tion evidence linking WG and health was evalu-
components to assess intake. ated.

• Monitor WG products in market and determine intake

Consumer Research and Education
by consumers.
• Develop international regulatory and policy standards • The AACCI WG Task Force Workshop further
for whole grains. addressed many consumer-related issues: in-
creased market use, labeling, gradual introduction,
• Evaluate perceptions, motivations and barriers to scientific base for WG health claims.
whole grain consumption.
• Communication strategies that worked in Nordic
• Develop key messages that speak to health profes- countries were shared.
sionals and consumers.
• Current consumer trend toward desire of a
• Investigate and monitor marketplace changes. ‘healthy gut’ was demonstrated.

Grain Science and Technology • Identify, characterize and determine bioavailability of • Innovative approaches to increasing oat products
bioactive components within WG. were addressed.

• Upgrade grain technology to better determine the
effects of grain structure on sensory properties and
digestibility.
• Create new market-friendly WG foods.
• Food technologists were challenged to formulate
WG products that consumers want to eat.
• The need for optimized grain fractionation was
discussed.

• Investigate and monitor production of WG foods and • Sensory characteristics/challenges when making
bioactive components. WG foods were delineated.
a * indicates material from L. Marquart and J. M. Jones Whole Grains & Health: A Global Summit, A Summary of Recommendations. University of Minnesota
2005. ** indicates material from C&E Spring Meeting 2009 – Whole Grain Global Summit, Whole Grain Products: The Holy Grail for Health Conscious Con-
sumers? Online Supplement, Cereal Foods World, Vol. 54, No. 2, 2009.

156 CEREAL CHEMISTRY

Gradually Improving Health-Related Attributes
of Grain-Based Foods
One approach is a proposed 15-year model that would allow the
sectors and disciplines to set specific incremental targets for in-
gredients/nutrients in grain-based foods and allow consumer cul-
tural norms to shift and equilibrate before moving onto the next
incremental change. For example, there is a need to be realistic
and practical in terms of minimum sodium levels used in grain
products, particularly for any initial recommendations that might
limit grain products in functionality and palatability. A gradual
reduction in sodium will allow the sectors (government, industry,
academia) and various disciplines (technology, consumer/behav-
ioral, regulatory/policy) to adapt at each incremental stage. This
provides a comfortable adaptation period for industry to develop
the necessary technology around new ingredients and formula-
tion, innovative product development, and allow time for the con-
sumers to adjust their palates to less sodium or to alternative
ingredient sources. It also allows for focused research to examine
the relationship between nutrients such as sodium and specific
chronic diseases. This same example can be used for other ingre-
dients, such as gradually lowering dietary fat and calories or in-
creasing whole grain or dietary fiber content in commonly
consumed foods.
Focusing Research Around the Supply Chain
The HEALTHGRAIN Project in Europe is an excellent exam-
ple of collaboration that has generated considerable data in the
areas of consumer research, grain improvement and biotechnol-
ogy, technology and processing, nutrition and metabolism, and
dissemination and technology transfer. A next step in future col-
laboration will be to harness and direct the current body of re-
search and technology to fill the gaps in the grain supply chain.
For example, when science and technology transfer is carefully
planned and targeted toward milling and manufacturing compa-
nies, this can accelerate the development and delivery of food
products into the marketplace with additional health attributes.
We should now focus, prioritize, and leverage these tremendous
data-rich resources. What is the right direction and how should we
approach whole grains, dietary fiber, and health from a scientific
perspective to capitalize on our investment in research?
Identify gaps in supply chain. Survey the supply chain to iden-
tify areas of opportunity for improvement in production, delivery,
and consumption of whole grain products.
Identify gaps in research. Focus, prioritize, and leverage re-
search dollars. By examining the current body of research, we
discover unexplored gaps. Rallying multi-institutional collabora-
tion around specific issues will allow the research to address tar-
geted, prioritized issues methodically. Working together to first
focus and prioritize research efforts and then perform the research
will prevent unintended duplication of efforts.
Researcher database with support of AACCI. Increase the op-
portunity for scientists to create innovative research. Synergistic
research can occur through increased collaboration, communica-
Fig. 1. A whole grain journey.
tion, and leveraging of current research knowledge. Working to-
gether begins by finding who is working on what and where they
are working on it.
Connecting the continents. We need to work together as we
move forward and connect current and past research efforts in
order to know where to begin. Linking the continents to synthe-
size existing data and identifying priorities for research will help
improve supply chain efficiency and increase whole grain avail-
ability.
Training Young Scientists and Health Professionals
Jean Piaget, a Swiss cognitive psychologist who lived during
the 1900’s, summed up an educator’s responsibility in that “The
principal goal of education is to create men who are capable of
doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations
have done.” To create sustainable change in the food supply, it
will be necessary to develop visionary leaders who can communi-
cate across sectors, disciplines, and cultures and apply skills to
navigate the supply chain in an increasingly complex world.
While many professionals who currently work in industry possess
these abilities, their skills have been developed over years of ex-
perience. These skills should be taught early in the education ex-
perience to send young professionals into the workplace who are
more fully prepared to tackle challenging issues through commu-
nication and by building meaningful relationships. Potential proc-
esses for accomplishing this type of training include development
of interdisciplinary and experiential learning environments by link-
ing schools of agriculture, public health, medicine, and business;
creation of new models for training young scientists, business,
and health professionals to develop and deliver products that are
sustainable and healthier for consumers; establishment of team
environments for students to participate in real-world case studies
that emphasize development, marketing, distribution, and delivery
of healthier grain-based products. These skills must be cultivated
early if we are to succeed in improving public health through a
value-added grain supply chain.
Rewarding Collaborative Behavior
Few funding agencies have the structure, scope, or flexibility to
support broad multidisciplinary projects. These funding sources
tend to be conservative in their portfolio management and consist
of program officers who are seldom focused on emerging collabo-
rative opportunities. Several suggestions for contributions from
academia, industry, nonprofit organizations, and government might
include the following.
From an academic perspective, there is a need to realign the
reward systems for both the granting and tenure process. These
processes by which scientists and education professionals are
Fig. 2. A comparison of research for fruits and vegetables, soy, and whole
grains from 1900 to the present.
Vol. 87, No. 2, 2010 157
rewarded should promote formation of cross-disciplined research
projects and training of the upcoming generation to solve com-
plex public health problems. This will encourage present and fu-
ture research professionals to branch out into nontraditional roles,
develop innovative teaching practices, and participate in collabo-
rative research projects.
Industry funding will require a targeted strategy in pursuit of
scientific goals. Funding should reward projects that focus on
improving weaknesses in the supply chain and that are directly
applicable to improvement in the health attributes, taste quality,
and cost containment of grain-based foods.
Nonprofit organizations are uniquely aligned to focus and lev-
erage cross-disciplined efforts that strategically address complex
food-related issues. They are also well positioned to address du-
plication of efforts and to frame projects within the big picture.
Nonprofits will require open-minded, progressive, and assertive
action to serve as an effective conduit between industry, acade-
mia, and government.
Government agencies continue to move toward funding of re-
search projects that require collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts.
This is one effective award system for encouraging collaboration.
Government can further improve this program by working with
other sectors to focus and prioritize research projects before dol-
lars are awarded. By working together to determine research pri-
orities, both industry and government funders will be able to
leverage research dollars to address issues in a planned and priori-
tized manner.
The question arises as to whether there will be a need for a new
discipline to help scientists communicate more effectively and
collaborate in the planning and outcome phase of their research.
One example could be a new journal process that focuses on ap-
plied or transitional research that more closely ties grain-based
foods to the marketplace.
How We Will Get There
Working together and training for the future both require an ex-
cellent ability to communicate and relate to one another and the
world around us. Focused and prioritized research will ultimately
begin where our individual priorities lie. We will need to begin to
understand and respect one another’s priorities to connect with
one another. This integration of diverse world views begins by
asking the right questions. It is not enough to recognize the many
ways in which we are all different; we need to go further to rec-
ognize and capitalize on the many ways that we are also similar
(Wilber 2007). Integration and harmony within the grain-based
supply chain are essential. There should be no disconnects in the
process if we are to successfully link research to public health
through changes in the supply chain. We need to raise each other
up in all sectors, disciplines, and cultures to realize the full poten-
tial of all to make changes to public health through human con-
nection.
One entity where such differences, priorities, and similarities
are recognized and shared currently is the Grains for Health Foun-
dation. This newly founded nonprofit organization seeks to pro-
vide the room for working together across the supply chain from
geneticists to manufacturers to the consumer. An important initial
goal of the Foundation is to find an approach that affects public
health by improving the food supply, an approach that everyone
can get behind with full passion but one guided by collaboration,
[Received July 8, 2009. Accepted January 7, 2010.]
158 CEREAL CHEMISTRY
moderation, and small steps. This begins by asking the right sci-
entific questions to elucidate problem identification and finding
solutions that feed directly into the supply chain that result in
improved food and health for consumers.
Conclusions
Cost, consumer acceptability, and a need for targeted health-
related science are all barriers to achieving health objectives.
Without solid scientific documentation of the health attributes of
whole grain and fiber-rich grain foods, we undermine the credibil-
ity of our products and our potential business opportunities. There
is no doubt we must all work together to develop and harness the
foundational knowledge, tools, and wisdom for grains to further
contribute to human health. Ultimately, we need to begin by ask-
ing the right questions and proactively engaging all sectors and
grain-based disciplines to be part of the solution. Managing the
right tension between profit and public health, (cost, palatability,
and health benefit to the consumer) is the key to success.
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