Over 100,000 tonnes of whole grain have been added to the Australian food supply since the launch of the Code of Practice for Whole Grain Ingredient Content Claims three years ago.
Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC) shared this figure and other quantifiable impacts of the Code since its launch in 2013 at a gathering of food industry attendees in Sydney this week.
According to the GLNC, 20 manufacturers have now signed up as registered users of the Code, and more than 370 products have been registered to carry whole grain claims.
Moreover, the number of whole grain claims being made on registered products has risen 65 per cent, 88 new products have been launched, and 17 products have been reformulated since the Code was introduced in 2013.
GLNC Accredited Practising Dietitian and Code Manager Rebecca Williams said: “Since its implementation in 2013, the Code has encouraged manufacturers to add over 100,000 tonnes of whole grain into the food supply or the equivalent of over 400 Olympic sized swimming pools.”
Williams said GLNC worked with industry as well as the public health and nutrition research community to develop a benchmark for the required amount of whole grain in a food that would promote positive health outcomes.
“Significant uptake of the Code and good levels of compliance is instilling confidence in the Australian public’s ability to identify which foods contain significant amounts of whole grain.
"By utilising the Code, manufacturers are demonstrating their commitment to ensuring consumers can make an informed decision when looking for foods higher in whole grain,” she said.
