MINNEAPOLIS, MN – 300 global leaders from health and food industry sectors met to work together towards the common goal of bringing business goals into alignment with public health goals at the Whole Grains Summit, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from Saturday, May 19th to Tuesday, May 22nd. During the closing keynote session, Assistant Surgeon General Dr. James Galloway called participants to make change now, stating “The choices we make are shaped by the choices we have. It is critical that all sectors and stakeholders work together to create a healthy food environment.” The Summit was organized by the Grains for Health Foundation with support from an international panel of experts in grain science, food technology and public health to develop global solutions that allow easier access to healthy grain-based foods by consumers.
Designed to provide a framework for the international delegates to share their view of the research, regulatory, and/or consumer landscape as it relates to whole grains & health, the Summit examined whole grains, dietary fiber and functional grain components in relation to health. According to conference co-chair and President of the Grains for Health Foundation, Len Marquart, “When multiple generations of professionals share their experiences and learn from one another, wisdom is brought to the young and energy to the wise.” Marquart also indicated the Summit met its goal of fostering collaboration between scientists, business and health professionals from around the world.
Participants discussed challenges and opportunities as they pushed toward a globally relevant definition of whole grain foods, identified potential avenues for collaborative efforts & focused research, and discussed new approaches to doing business that allows success for both business & society. In closing the Summit, Marquart noted, “Presenters and participants from around the globe learned how each other’s successes, experiences and consequences affect those across borders in today’s global society.”
Summit participants issued a call for a unified direction for the global grains & health communities to:
- Promote communication & unify leadership among organizations in both grains & health
- Encourage the delivery of consistent whole grain messages to consumers
- Support development of new products through targeted research on both the health-related efficacy of whole grains as well as technology for improved product development
- Improve the consumer environment for choosing whole grain foods through new product development by grain-based food companies as a main means of increasing whole grain consumption
- Encourage wider adoption of governmental policies supportive of an effective approach toward greater whole grain availability in the marketplace
Follow-up from the meeting will be posted on the Grains for Health Foundation’s website, Whole Grains Summit 2012 Events Page: http://grainsforhealth.org/news-and-events/events/2012-whole-grain-summit
ABOUT Grains for Health Foundation was founded in 2009 to increase the availability of affordable grain-based foods with substantiated health benefits to improve public health and lower the risk of diet-related diseases. Grains for Health forges partnerships with food and health leaders to develop evidence-based strategies that facilitate the development, delivery, and consumption of grain-based foods that promote public health, lower the incidence of diet-related, chronic disease, and curb health care costs. www.grainforhealth.org
Source: Grains for Health Foundation
