Whole Grains Council 2022: A Year in Review

With the advent of a new year comes a chance to look back on the events of last year. At the Oldways Whole Grains Council, we have had a busy year of whole grains advocacy, events, and partnerships. Let's take a look back over the successes of 2022, none of which would have been possible without your membership and support:

Whole Grain Leadership

Helped organize and presented at the 4th annual International Whole Grain Day event
Leadership within the Whole Grain Initiative
Met with experts and researched the path toward a UN-recognized Year of Whole Grains

Advocacy

Participated in a discussion organized by Cereals & Grains Association focused on creating a formal recommendation that USDA increase WG requirements for the WIC program.
Continued to advocate for strong whole grain requirements in the National School Lunch program and the WIC program through comments and meetings
Met with experts and researched the path toward a UN-recognized Year of Whole Grains
Worked with WGC member companies to donate 320 cases of whole grain products to food banks and pantries as part of Whole Grains Month

Publishing

Published new research in the journal Nutrients, demonstrating the growth and increased accessibility of whole grain products
Presented findings of our published paper at the 20th annual ICC conference in July

Media

Contributed to several news articles promoting whole grain consumption, from U.S. News, to Modern Farmer, to the Food Network Magazine, and many more.
Generated social media engagement through Whole Grains Month in September and Whole Day for Whole Grain in May. Activities included Instagram Lives, webinars, a consumer whole grain contest, and consumer challenges posted on social media
The Whole Grain Stamp received a positive mention in a recent NYT article

Webinars

Hosted seven webinars, on topics ranging from taking compelling food photos to the link between whole grains and diabetes

From all of us here at the Whole Grains Council, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another year of whole grain advocacy, research, and outreach in 2023.

One of the most successful components of last year's WDWG was our digital shopping list featuring members' products. This simple grocery and online-retail guide will help consumers identify new-to-them Stamped products produced by our members. Sign up now to submit up to three products to be featured on this year's list, which we'll be promoting to our consumer audience in March. The deadline for submissions is Monday, February 27. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to drive traffic to your brand!

Should Your Products Be Using the 50%+ Stamp?

In January of 2017 the Whole Grains Council introduced the 50%+ Stamp to help consumers quickly recognize products that contain some refined grains but are still high in whole grain ingredients. Now over 5500 products bear the 50%+ stamp, making it a familiar and trusted symbol for consumers, and a valuable marketing and communication tool for food companies.

If your company has products bearing the Basic Stamp that were registered before January 2017 and you would like to review them for eligibility to use the 50%+ Stamp, please contact Rebecca, and she can help you get started.

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Whole Grain Resource of the Month: Members' Voices

In 2021 we reached out to our members to hear directly from them about the benefits of Whole Grains Council membership. We'd like to share the resulting video again as a thank you for the great year. Your support makes our work possible!

VIEW HERE

Visit the world's most biodiverse country!

From exploring, eating local cuisine & dancing on the beach—we have a dreamy Costa Rica getaway in store for you!

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