2008 Q4 Newsletters

December 2008 Member Email (Sent December 16, 2008)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

What food trends will be hot in 2009? Two new surveys out this week from the National Restaurant Association give an early indication. In the NRA's annual Chef Survey, 1600 kitchen maestros named quinoa the top trend in side dishes, while ancient grains garnered third place in "other food items/ingredients." In the category of "Culinary Themes," nutrition and health took first place.

In a separate survey, NRA members were asked "What trend do you see accelerating the most in 2009?" Taking first place - even over "productivity enhancements to offset rising costs" was "Increasing attention to health/nutrition." The bottom line: whole grains will continue to accelerate in 2009, and the WGC will be there to help consumers and manufacturers benefit.

HOT TOPICS SPONSORSHIPS
We've created an exciting new concept for drawing extra media attention to our sponsors at the Make (at least!) Half Your Grains Whole conference, being held April 20-22, 2009 in Alexandria, VA. We're calling this new approach "Hot Topics" because we'll be grouping sponsors into themes, each supported by a fact sheet and an expert spokesperson.

On Day One we'll introduce all the Hot Topics as part of our Keynote session, then immediately adjourn to an Info Reception where attendees can gather in informal groups and hear more - while networking and enjoying great food samples. Journalists will be able to learn about a topic, get quotes from an expert, and sample representative foods all at once. This way, not only will the stories practically write themselves, but the sponsors' displays will be much more closely integrated into the content of the conference. We think that the great products our members create are a key part of the whole grain story, and our new approach brings that fact to light more clearly.

Sponsorship opportunities range from $5000 on up, with "supporter" opportunities suitable for smaller companies also available. Click here to download a PDF explaining the Hot Topics concept, and the costs and benefits of sponsoring / supporting the conference. The WGC now has over 220 members and we can put together a dynamic conference with just a little support from each of you. We'll be calling to ask for your support - but we're even happier if you call Cynthia Harriman (603-436-1608 or cynthia@oldwayspt.org) first!

CONFERENCE AGENDA FEATURES NEW RESEARCH
Your conference sponsorships will give your company great visibility and media coverage AND will also support an exciting conference program. The preliminary agenda for the conference is now available on our website.

Highlights of the agenda include:
• New research, commissioned by the WGC, that will clarify just how far whole grains have come since 2005
• Data illustrating the narrowing price gap between whole and refined grains
• New ways to reach consumers, with social networking/marketing
• Insights into consumer behavior, and promotions that work
• A close look at the issues involved in bringing whole grains to schools
• A workshop designed to promote harmonization of government standards and definitions for whole grains

Now is the time for you to give us your input, before the agenda is totally cast in stone. We based these topics on your feedback from the last conference and suggestions you provided last time we solicited them in this newsletter, but we're still open to more ideas. What do YOU want to learn about? What do you already know, that you think should be shared with everyone? Email Cynthia Harriman or call 603-436-1608.

Online registration to attend the Make (at least!) Half Your Grains Whole conference will be available after January 1. We'll give you the link in our next newsletter. As always, each WGC member has the right to one free conference registration. More on that next time!

RESEARCH COMPILATION NOW COMPLETE
Last spring, we visited USDA's CNPP (Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion) and asked Director Brian Wansink and Assistant Director Rob Post how the WGC could best support the 2010 Dietary Guidelines process. They suggested that we compile a summary of all research about whole grains and health that has been published since the last round of guidelines. We've now completed this compilation, and will soon be submitting it to the new Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which recently held its first meeting.

This report should be of great interest not just to the DGAC but also to our members who want to keep up with the latest research. To make the draft available to WGC members immediately, we've posted this 41-page, 610K PDF on our website, accessible only through this unpublished link. Once we've prettied it up a bit we'll be making it more publicly accessible on the WGC website, and sending it off to the committee.

WG STORE TOUR NOW IN SPANISH, TOO
We've translated all the consumer handouts and signage for our popular Whole Grains Store Tour kit into Spanish, to reach a wider audience. This educational program includes everything necessary to introduce consumers to the wealth of whole grains available in the typical supermarket. There are grocery lists, sign-up sheets, instore signage, a press release template, and information on reading labels, all in Spanish, along with presenter's guides (in English only so far).

You can see the Whole Grains Store Tour materials, and download them, in English or in Spanish, on the WGC website. Elsewhere on the website, we also have a few more handouts in Spanish, including a coloring page for kids. ¡Busque Granos Enteros!

SOCIAL MEDIA... WHAT'S WORKING FOR YOU?
Have you created a Facebook page for your brand? Do you solicit reviews on your website or offer interactive quizzes? Have you created a widget? Do you "tweet" on Twitter? The days of one-way communication - from companies to consumers - are fading. Now multi-way communication is the new norm. You send information to your customers. They send information back to you - and also to each other. That's social media, also called social networking.

We'd like to hear from you if you're using new social media techniques to promote your products. We'll feature the most innovative and effective strategies in our Social Media session at the Make (at least!) Half Your Grains Whole conference, bringing extra attention to your leading-edge marketing efforts. Email Cynthia Harriman or call 603-436-1608 if you've got a story to share.

MED PYRAMID EMPHASIZES WHOLE GRAINS
As most of you know, the Whole Grains Council is managed by Oldways, a non-profit educational organization internationally recognized for its creation of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid in 1993.

Last month, at the 15th Anniversary Mediterranean Diet Conference, Oldways released an exciting update of its Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, emphasizing (among other things) whole grains. The traditional Mediterranean Diet is the pattern followed in Crete and other areas through the 1960s, a diet high in fruits, vegetables and olive oil, but one that also included white bread. Now, as research increasingly shows that this diet pattern may have been healthy despite the white bread - and certainly not because of it - the pyramid has been updated to emphasize whole grains.

If you'd like to know more, you can download a larger PDF of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and see all the updates agreed by the committee of scientific experts. The overall message? Basing our meals on fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and whole grains is the key to enjoying the health benefits of the gold standard Mediterranean Diet.
Best regards and Happy Holidays from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
------------------------
Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
603-436-1608 direct
617-896-4820 main office

November 2008 Member Email (Sent November 20, 2008)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

We're squeezing in one more newsletter before the American Thanksgiving holiday, so you can read all the latest news before you head out to make your whole grain stuffing. I used whole white wheat in the pie crust of my pumpkin pie for the first time last year, and no one even noticed, so I'll keep doing the healthy/delicious thing for my family again this year.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN 2008 WG CHALLENGE
We just completed judging in the WGC's second annual Whole Grains Challenge, our competition for foodservice outlets - and the results show that popularity of and creativity with whole grains are at an all-time high in foodservice.

In the Challenge, schools, hospitals, workplace cafeterias, and restaurants competed with each other in delivering the most creative and pervasive promotions of whole grain foods during the month of September - which is Whole Grains Month. To be eligible, each foodservice operation had to offer at least one whole grain choice daily. And to be one of ten category winners?

Here's what the top entries did to beat the competition:

Fine Dining: Fair Hill Inn, in Elkton, MD
Fair Hill Inn takes "farm to table" literally, with their own garden, vineyard and apiary. In September, to honor the Whole Grains Challenge, Fair Hill made sure that every item on their three menus -- even dessert -- featured a whole grain. They also promoted whole grains on their website and in several direct marketing efforts to their mailing list.

Fast Casual / Family Dining: Boloco
This small Boston-based chain, with 13 locations in three states, specializes in quality ingredients - and routinely offers its signature burritos with whole wheat tortillas and brown rice.

Quick Serve: Papa John's
In 2008 Papa John's became the first national chain to offer the choice of a 100% whole wheat crust on all pizzas. This bold move - which included extensive marketing of the health benefits of whole grains - made Papa John's the winner in our Quick Serve category.

Healthcare: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Sick kids will get better faster when they're fed whole wheat pizza, Caesar shrimp in a whole grain wrap, wheatberry bread, and all the other great whole grain options served at CHOP, where the foodservice is run by Aramark.

Workplace: Restaurant Associates at Morgan Stanley
Whole Grains Action Stations... menu options like quinoa with mango and mint, or grilled pears, turkey and brie on a whole grain roll at every meal... "Did You Know?" signs, with information about different whole grains... Morgan Stanley's foodservice, at five locations in New York City, wowed the judges with their entry.

K-12 (small schools): Mattawan, MI (run by Chartwells)
The Mattawan Wildcats promoted whole grains through their breakfast program, with customized posters all over the school saying "Active Wildcats start their day with whole grains." Students choosing whole grain options got their whole grain card punched; at the end of the month cards were collected and prizes - including a kayak - were awarded at random. The promotion spilled over to lunch too, with extra whole grain choices added to the menu.

K-12 (medium schools): Newtown, CT (run by Chartwells)
What didn't Newtown do to win? Intermediate school students enjoyed whole grain samples and voted on their favorites. On field day, students took part in a special whole grains obstacle course. Staff handed out stickers to elementary students who chose whole grains at lunch (or brought them from home). The good ideas just kept coming from this school.

K-12 (large schools): Norfolk, VA (independent)
Norfolk Public Schools started serving whole grains more than 3 years, with a whole grain icon on their menus - a pioneering effort long before whole grains were widespread. This year they've added whole grain rolls for their hot dogs, meatball subs, fish hoagies, and chicken sandwiches.

Catering and Lodging: Compass Corporate Catering
Compass has partnered with the American Cancer Society to create its Meeting Well program, whose menus stipulate serving 100% whole grain bread on at least half of all sandwiches, whole grain cereals, whole grain bagels, and side dishes like brown rice, black barley, or quinoa. What a great improvement over another tray of sugary Danishes at your next business meeting!

Other: Compass Group
A special award went to Compass Group, for its 2008 National Nutrition Month Campaign called "Whole Grains 3.0." This nationwide campaign, which involved all Compass units, educated staff and consumers about the importance of consuming three servings or more of whole grain every day. Through newsletters, chef training sessions, and the distribution of recipes suited to the foodservice environment, Compass showed its commitment to whole grains.

Runners-Up and Honorable Mentions
Another dozen entries fell just short of winning but displayed so much creativity that they deserve special recognition:
Quickserve: UFood Grill, runner-up
Healthcare: Guam Memorial Hospital, runner-up; Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, honorable mention
Workplace: Restaurant Associates at Hearst Café 57, runner-up; Restaurant Associates at McKinsey & Co. and Restaurant Associates at Conde Nast, honorable mention
K-12 (small): Needville Indep. School District, TX, runner-up; Breck School, Golden Valley, MN, honorable mention
K-12 (medium): Orchard View Public Schools, Muskegon, MI, runner-up; De Soto Public Schools, MO, honorable mention
K-12 (large): San Diego Unified School District, CA, runner-up; Los Angeles Unified School District, CA, honorable mention

Winners will receive an attractive framed medal commemorating their success, a free lifetime restaurant membership in the WGC and valuable whole grain prizes - so they can serve even more whole grains to their customers.

The WGC would like to thank its prize donors including: AIPC, Aunt Millie's, Barrel O' Fun Snacks, Caravan Ingredients, Dr. Kracker, Fieldstone Bakery, Indian Harvest Specialtifoods, Kashi, Kellogg, Minute® Rice, Natural Harmony Foods, Nature's Hand, Partners, Rustic Crust, Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas, and Upsides by Simplot. Our prize donors made the contest more exciting for contestants, while opening potential new accounts to the donors.

A full list of prizes can be seen on the WGC website.

This is the second year that the WGC has run the Whole Grains Challenge during September. Foodservice operations that missed this year's contest are invited to start planning now for the September 2009 competition. We're especially hoping next year to attract entries outside the U.S.

FINAL GIVEAWAY TOTAL: 129.9 TONS
What a great group of members we have in the Whole Grains Council! At a time when too many families are cutting back on healthy foods due to rising prices, WGC members have banded together to donate 129.9 tons of whole grain food to schools, food pantries, homeless shelters and other charities. That's enough food to provide an extra serving of whole grains to the combined populations of Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Montana and New Hampshire.

Those contributing to the Whole Grains Giveaway included:

AIB International
Barrel O' Fun Snack Foods
Bob's Red Mill
Caravan Ingredients
CCF Brands
Chabaso Bakery
Cream of Wheat
Dr. Kracker
Frontier Soup
Great Harvest Bread Company
HomeFree
Hodgson Mill
Indian Harvest Specialtifoods
King Arthur Flour
Mary's Gone Crackers
Mestemacher Bread
NatureBake / Dave's Killer Bread
Our Daily Grain
Ozery's Pita Break
Riviana Foods
Shiloh Farms
Sunnyland Mills
Uncle Ben's
World of Grains

You can see the great causes these civic-minded companies supported on our website. A big thanks to them and to any other members who may not have reported their largesse to the Giveaway but are also doing their part to make sure everyone has access to healthy whole grains, even in tough economic times.

We sent out a press release on both these events on November 12; you may have already seen some of the our good coverage in the trade press.

HEALTHGRAIN MEETING IN PARIS
How can the success of whole grain promotion efforts in North America help accelerate acceptance and availability of whole grain foods in Europe? That was the question raised by Healthgrain, the pan-European whole grain research consortium, when they invited the Whole Grains Council to speak in Paris on November 4.

The event was the annual meeting of the sixty European companies that are "Industrial Platform" supporters of the five-year Healthgrain project, a group especially interested in the WGC's approach of combining nutrition education with support for manufacturers.

It's a time of flux for food labeling in Europe, as new EU regulations on health claims are just being worked out - and this has made many companies unsure of whether any whole grain claims can be made until / unless an EU health claim for whole grains is established. According to the Danish Cancer Society, however, if countries call for whole grain consumption in their national dietary guidelines, it's okay to promote whole grains now. The Danes have, in fact, just amended their guidelines - calling for consumption of 75g of whole grains daily! - in order to move forward with a major whole grain promotion campaign in 2009.

This workaround evoked increased interest in the Whole Grain Stamp and other WGC promotion programs, especially when we demonstrated how much the WGC has accomplished with a rather modest budget. If your company does business in Europe, please don't hesitate to have your colleagues on that side of the pond contact Cynthia Harriman if they'd like help in making whole grains more available locally.

Best regards and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
------------------------
Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
603-436-1608 direct
617-896-4820 main office

October 2008 Member Email (Sent October 24, 2008)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

October is Celiac Awareness Month - a great time to remind everyone that the majority of whole grains are gluten free, so a gluten-free lifestyle does not have to mean a grain-free life. A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of speaking at the Gluten Free Culinary Summit in Providence, RI where we enjoyed some really, really delicious gluten-free dishes crafted by master chefs who regularly offer gluten-free options at their restaurants. Kudos to all those who are working to make sure that folks with celiac disease can still enjoy the health benefits of whole grains.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF APRIL CONFERENCE

We'll be holding our next WGC conference - titled Make (at least!) Half Your Grains Whole! - on April 20-22, 2009, in Alexandria, VA. We're developing the conference program now, including ideas like...

• The latest in whole grain health research, illustrating why whole grains should be central to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
• A strong call for continued whole grain momentum, to create an environment where half of all grains are whole. We're not there yet!
• A session where manufacturers and school foodservice managers can trade information and find common ground.
• Hot topics in product development: gluten-free, sprouted grains, ancient grains.
• A special workshop to discuss conflicting U.S. government standards and definitions for whole grains, to encourage harmonization between agencies.

This dynamic event will be crucial to expanding the market for whole grains, so your support and participation are important. Kudos to Dr. Kracker, our first member to make a support / sponsorship commitment. Check out the conference information on the WGC website , to learn how you can achieve your marketing goals through the WGC conference, with an investment of $250 to $35,000. Now is the time to make sure your sponsorship is part of your 2009 marketing budget.

It's also a good time to share any additional program ideas. What's important to YOU? We want our conferences to meet our members' needs as well as the needs we've identified for furthering the whole grains cause. Email Cynthia with your ideas.

51.5 TONS? LAST CHANGE FOR GIVEAWAY (AND PR!)

We're nearing the end of "The Whole Grains Giveaway," in which we've been tracking the huge amounts of whole grain products our members are contributing to charity during September and October.

So far, our members have donated 51.5 tons of whole grains to worthy causes. This incredible sum is bound to get great media attention when our press release about the Whole Grains Giveaway goes out in early November. (Our kickoff press release in August, when the total stood at just 7 tons, was picked up in several newspapers and magazines - just think what the reaction will be now!)

At this point, however, just 18 WGC members - those who have reported their donations to date - will reap all the positive publicity. Do a good deed for a worthy cause, and email Kara about your donation today. And do a good deed for yourself, by spotlighting the good you do for others. Your company is likely making donations already - why not "get credit" while helping us draw attention to the importance of making sure everyone has access to healthy whole grains, even in tough economic times?

THE WHOLE GRAINS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

The Whole Grain Stamp continues to spread far and wide. Just recently we created Stamp graphics in Polish, for a UK-based WGC member exporting a delicious whole grain bread to Poland. Are you exporting your products to another land where you might like to use the Stamp? Contact us to discuss the possibilities!

If your whole grain efforts are international, you may also want to participate in the Whole Grains International Network, or WIN. WIN has many features to facilitate information exchange among professionals working on whole grain promotional campaigns around the world, including:
• The opportunity to list any whole grain campaigns taking place in your country or through your organization
• A place to show any promotional whole grain logos associated with your local efforts
• A feature called Whole Grain News, that you can read online at WIN or subscribe to by email or by RSS feed
• A list of conferences and events, where we welcome you to post YOUR upcoming events, too!
• Easy ways to comment and communicate with your fellow whole grains professionals worldwide.

WIN was set up by Morten Strunge Meyer, our friend from the Danish Cancer Society, who co-moderated our International Workshop at last year's whole grains conference in Kansas City. Like all social networking sites, WIN is only as good as its participants make it. So we hope you will take part in WIN, and share any information that you think will help other members. This is currently a very new, very young, work in progress. Morten has given it a strong start, and the WGC is pitching in too; with your help and participation, it can become an increasingly valuable resource.

WIN is open to all, but to avoid robots and spam, we need to send you an "invitation" to take part. Email Cynthia Harriman or Morten Meyer if you'd like an invitation. (And did we mention it's free? There's no cost to be part of WIN!)

REPORT FROM EXPO EAST

We just attended the Natural Products Expo East show in Boston, where about 50 WGC members were exhibiting. How nice to say hello to old friends, and to meet some email/phone friends for the first time! Shows give us the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with what's new in your product lines (you never know what media opportunities might arise...) and to see what's new overall.

Our verdict from Expo East? Whole grains continue strong, with great new and unexpected products like whole grain potstickers, whole grain pierogies, and a few new whole grain beverages. See our recent blog entry from the show - and don't forget to subscribe to the RSS feed on our blog, so you don't miss the latest whole grain news and musings.

A GRAIN KIT FOR SCHOOLS???

Wouldn't it be great if kids could learn about whole grains and see samples of the different grains? We've had occasional requests from schools asking if we could supply a set, or kit, of actual grain samples, and we've always had to say no. This time, UC Davis Extension is asking, as they're creating a curriculum for use in schools and with 4H, including some materials from the WGC - and they really, really want grain samples to go in the kit. Intrigued by the idea, we promised UC Davis we'd ask our faithful WGC members.

Does anyone have an existing kit of actual grain samples? Is anyone willing to work with us to develop such a kit? It could be branded (great PR for you!) and could be provided either free or at cost. Call (617-896-4820) or email Cynthia if you want to brainstorm how your company could help make this cool project happen.

Best regards from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

Cindy
------------------------
Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
Oldways / The Whole Grains Council
603-436-1608 direct
617-896-4820 main office