2009 Q4 Newsletters

December 2009 (sent to members December 16, 2009)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

As 2009 draws to a close we'd like to thank all of you once again for partnering with the Whole Grains Council, and for making more whole grains more available to more people everywhere. It's been a great year. But rather than look back, we're going to spend all of this month's newsletter laying out our plans to make next year even better yet!

Read on, to learn what's on tap for 2010.

GRAIN OF THE MONTH (all 12 months)
Each month in 2010, we'll feature a different whole grain on the WGC website, including information on its health benefits, cooking tips and recipes, historical/cultural facts, and more. The Grain of the Month will give consumers (and media) an opportunity to learn more about all 14 grains featured on the WGC website. It will also provide great opportunities for our members, such as links to your own coupons and specials, media opportunities, and promotions on your own websites.

Here's the month-by-month schedule:
January: Oats
February: Barley
March: Quinoa
April: Sprouted Grains
May: Amaranth
June: Sorghum
July: Wheat
August: Rye and Triticale
September: Rice and Wild Rice
October: Corn
November: Millet and Teff
December: Buckwheat

We welcome your contributions of suggested content for specific grains, your recipes (especially international ones from our non-U.S. members) as well as details of any special promotions you may be having for "your" month(s). Email Cynthia Harriman with your ideas.

WHOLE GRAINS GIVEAWAY (Jan, Feb, Mar)
There's no denying that the past several months have been economically challenging, and - although there are signs of recovery - it may be many more months before the economy is back on track. Here at the WGC, we see times like these as opportunities to increase our involvement in our communities, to share the generosity and good fortune we feel, because we know we are fortunate while so many others may not be.

Our commitment to whole grains has never been stronger, and we know that you, our members, feel the same. To that end, we are once again organizing a Whole Grains Giveaway, asking our members to give whole grain donations to schools, food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens and report the amounts to us. We'll run this program similarly to the one we carried out in late 2008, but for three months instead of two: we'll be asking you to tell us about the whole grain donations you're making during the entire first quarter of 2010! Our new Whole Grains Giveaway will culminate in March, which is National Nutrition Month - a perfect time to make sure that everyone, at every income level, has access to whole grains.

Here are just a few ideas:

"adopt" a local homeless shelter by donating enough hot cereal for a week - or a month - of hot, healthy breakfasts
provide samples of your best products for a "tasting day" in your local school district
work with your area WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program to make sure every client takes home a loaf of whole grain bread to try
balance your inventory, and donate the extras to your local food pantry

If you joined the WGC after October 2008 or just want to refresh your memory, take a look at our 2008 Giveaway. There's also a special place in the For Members section of the WGC web site that explains the program, and makes it easy for you to sign up with your commitment.

Check out the details then email Kara as soon as possible with
    1.    Name of product(s) you're giving away.
    2.    How many pounds total you're donating. (We keep this number private, but we add it to our running total.)
    3.    To whom you're donating.
    4.    Where your offices and plants are located, if you want local media coverage.

Give a little, or give a lot, and be sure to tell us about your donations sooner rather than later, so your generosity will have plenty of time to inspire others!

SCHOOL RECIPE COLLECTION (completion late June)
Individual schools, USDA, and the Grains for Health Foundation have all told us that schools have a great need for more kid-tested, foodservice-scale whole grain recipes. After several years of running the Whole Grains Challenge, speaking at the School Nutrition Association's conference, and otherwise supporting schools' whole grain efforts, Kara and I have built a solid list of school contacts, all of whom we'll ask to contribute recipes we can collate into a helpful collection. We'll also be working with the School Nutrition Association on this project.

If your company has kid-friendly whole grain recipes for school foodservice, send them to Kara Berrini - the more the merrier!

WHOLE GRAINS MONTH: RECIPE MAKEOVER (September)
Recipe makeovers are a popular feature in food magazines such as Cooking Light. Following this model, we'll invite consumers everywhere to send in their favorite non-whole-grain recipe. We'll pick ten that look particularly in need of redemption, and ask our Culinary Advisors to do a whole grain makeover, resulting in a recipe rich in whole grain goodness. As usual, we'll invite WGC members to contribute prizes for the winners (maybe coupons this time, to ease shipping efforts!).

We will of course be carrying out other promotional efforts to draw attention to Whole Grains Month in September, but the Recipe Makeover will be our consumer centerpiece for next year.

WHOLE GRAINS CHALLENGE FOR FOODSERVICE (October)
Having the Whole Grains Challenge in October worked well this year, so we're planning to keep this annual event in the same month. Once again, we'll find the top examples of foodservice operations serving whole grains, and feature them as a positive example to others. We're exploring opportunities with a powerful new partner for this effort, so stay tuned.

BRING ON THE H.E.A.T. CONFERENCE (November)
On Saturday November 6, the Whole Grains Council will take part in a one-day event organized by Oldways, the WGC's parent organization. We're calling it "Bring on the H.E.A.T. - Healthy, Easy, Affordable, Tasty Food" to call attention to the wealth of foods that meet all four of these descriptors. We'll be running this event to coincide with FNCE, the American Dietetic Association show in Boston. If you're looking for a good way to reach Registered Dietitians - the foot soldiers in the battle for healthier diets - we welcome you to partner with us as a sponsor of this event.

2010 DIETARY GUIDELINES (late 2010)
In late 2010, when the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines are released, the Whole Grains Council will of course be ready with an education campaign to help consumers, the media, and our members understand the latest update in the U.S. government's whole grain recommendations.

DOCUMENTING WHOLE GRAIN TRENDS (all year)
Quantifying increased interest in and consumption of whole grains helps tremendously in the WGC's media outreach efforts, and provides useful marketing data for our members. In 2010, we're working on three projects that will move this part of our agenda forward. Look for more details in future monthly member newsletters.

WGC CONFERENCE (late January 2011)
Okay, this one's not technically in 2010, but we're including it because we know you'll need to budget many months ahead to make sure you can attend or be a sponsor. Our tentative plan is to have this next WGC conference in the Western half of the United States, since previous conferences have been in the East and Midwest. (Email Cynthia if you have a suggestion for the best location!) We'll be sharing more specifics with you by this spring. We're scheduling the conference in early 2011 so that we can include changes and updates from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines as a key topic.

AND ALL THE USUAL SUPPORT & SERVICE... (all year)
In addition to the special programs and events listed above, we will of course continue with all the everyday service and support of the Whole Grains Council: running the Whole Grain Stamp program, answering our Consumer Hotline, reaching out to the media, speaking at key industry conferences, and so much more. We enjoy working with you on all these projects.

Best wishes for peace and joy in the new year,
from all of us at Oldways and the Whole Grains Council,

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

November 2009 (sent to members November 23, 2009)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

One challenge we enjoy at the WGC is thinking up imaginative ways to bring attention to whole grains. Last week we noticed an article about Bill Yosses, White House pastry chef, that made us think, "Hmmm... this guy needs a definitive guide on baking with whole grains." With the help of WGC Chairman Michael Bittel and the gang at King Arthur Flour Company, we rushed a copy of The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook to the White House (see blog). We're happy to be doing our part to support the president's health.

WHOLE GRAINS CHALLENGE WINNERS
Our judges just announced the winners of the WGC's third annual Whole Grains Challenge, a national awards program for foodservice operators who serve at least one whole grain choice daily. We'll be awarding medals of valor to these outstanding heroes of the whole grain revolution, to recognize their efforts.

K-12 (large schools): New York City
K-12 (medium): Orchard View Schools, Muskegon, MI
K-12 (small): Harwood Union H.S., South Duxbury, VT
College & University: Roger Williams University, Rhode Island (run by Bon Appétit)
Workplace: Café Target, at Target headquarters in Minneapolis (run by Bon Appétit)
Healthcare: East Carolina Heart Institute, Greenville, NC (run by Aramark)
Neighborhood Dining: Snooze, in Denver, CO
Fine Dining: Our Place Indian Cuisine, in Irving, TX
Fast Casual / Family Dining: The Pump Energy Food, in NYC
Catering & Lodging: Canyon Ranch, 3 locations

You can find details about the winners' creative use of whole grains on our website, as well as a list of additional runners-up and honorable mentions in our popular schools category. The photo below is of Café Target's wonderful whole grain bar.

All winners will receive cases upon cases of wonderful whole grain food samples donated by WGC members including Barilla, Barrel o' Fun, Bob's Red Mill, CSM, ConAgra, Corazonas, Dessert Innovations, General Mills, Goose Valley, Indian Harvest, Lotus Foods, McKee, Mediterranean Meals, New England Natural Bakers, NRG Bar, Riviana, Schwan Foods, and Vie de France Yamazaki. Thanks to everyone for making this year's contest the best yet.

Contact Kara Berrini (617-896-4880 or kberrini@oldwayspt.org) if you'd like to be a prize donor in 2010.

NEED HELP WITH A WHOLE GRAINS PRESENTATION?
In the past month, four WGC members have asked us for help creating presentations on whole grains. One wanted information and graphics detailing the success of the Whole Grain Stamp, for an internal presentation designed to inspire his colleagues to produce ever more whole grain products. Two more (coincidentally) were making speeches in Asia, and wanted general statistics on the growth and momentum of whole grains. The fourth was speaking at an industry conference, on the latest trends in whole grain baking.

Do you need information on whole grains for your next presentation or marketing report? We have all kinds of resources for you, including whole grain statistics, information on the success of the Whole Grain Stamp, graphics, and even sample PowerPoint presentations which you can adapt to your use.

Contact Cynthia Harriman (cynthia@oldwayspt.org or 603-436-1608) and we'll set you right up with everything you need.

NEW STATISTICS ON WGC WEBSITE
Speaking of statistics, we have an ongoing partnership with Mintel Insight+Impact to provide us with statistics from the Mintel Global New Products Database. The latest data through November 4 show that new whole grain launches continue strong, despite the current economic climate.

The Whole Grain Statistics page of the WGC website is one of the most popular spots for media working on whole grain stories. Don't forget it's a great resource for you as members, also!

CONSUMERS LOOK FOR THE STAMP
Lately we seem to be receiving an increased volume of emails from consumers asking "Why isn't the Whole Grain Stamp on product XYZ?" In some cases the product in question is produced by one of the few companies not yet participating in the Whole Grains Council. But in many cases, the product comes from one of our members' brands.

One consumer wrote, "I was wondering why [this] did not have your label. [It] would seem to meet the criteria. My wife and I are very careful about the whole whole grains issue!" Another wrote, "Do any of their products qualify? I didn't see this brand on the list."

Is your company using the Whole Grain Stamp on all eligible products, in all of your brands? Are all of your fellow brand managers aware of the power of the Stamp? Once you have a corporate-wide membership, there's no extra fee for using the Whole Grain Stamp on additional qualifying products, so make sure you're taking full advantage of your WGC membership. Contact Molli King (617-896-4832 or mking@oldwayspt.org) if you have questions about registering additional products.

HAPPY WHOLE GRAIN THANKSGIVING
We wish all of you a delightful Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Check out our recipe for pumpkin pie with a whole grain crust, if you'd like to add whole grains in an especially delicious way.

The WGC website also has lots of whole grain side dishes, main dishes, soups, salads and other desserts, so no matter what you've volunteered to bring to the big feast, you can easily make it a whole grain.

Don't forget: contributing recipes is yet another way for your company to have visibility on the WGC website. We'll credit you as the author, and link back to your website, as you can see in the examples already on the site.

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

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

October 2009 (sent to members October 22, 2009)

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

When we picture Italy, traditional white pasta and white Italian bread come to mind. Imagine my surprise, then, on my recent trip to Rome when the corner bakery offered "pizza integrale," the nearest café made a 100% whole wheat croissant ("cornetto integrale"), and the grocery stores stocked Kamut®, barley, and whole wheat pasta. We're truly part of a worldwide whole grain revolution, folks.

Want to learn more about foodways in other countries? Oldways, the parent organization of the WGC, is leading a trip to Normandy in April 2010. Join us for this culinary adventure in France! Click here for details or to register.

3000 PRODUCTS NOW USE WHOLE GRAIN STAMP
The Whole Grain Stamp hit an important milestone this month: we have now approved over 3,000 products to use the Stamp. This milestone belongs to ALL of us: it is indeed the collective power of the Whole Grains Council's many members that is responsible for the great progress we've achieved in making a wide range of delicious whole grain products available everywhere.

Back in January of 2005 when we launched the Whole Grain Stamp, the WGC had just 31 members. Now we have 248 members based in 11 countries; the Stamp is available in 5 languages (English, Eng/French, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese) and is being used in 14 countries. A big thanks to all of you for your contributions to the ongoing success of the Whole Grain Stamp.

Kara, Molli, and I enjoyed seeing many of our WGC members at Expo East in Boston and at FNCE in Denver. It's always great to put a face to those long-standing email and phone relationships, and to get the latest news from those we've met before.

UPC CODES NEEDED ON ALL STAMPED PRODUCTS
Speaking of the Stamp, if you've registered any new products lately you may have noticed that we've added a field for UPC code to our online system. Over the next few months, we'll be updating all previously-registered products to add UPC codes. Molli King will be contacting you with an Excel list of your registered products and asking you to add the UPC codes, note any other updates on the spreadsheet and send it back so we can update our records. When she contacts you, we will appreciate your prompt response.

SCHOOL MEAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WHOLE GRAIN
On October 20th, the IOM (Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences) issued its long-awaited report recommending changes in the National School Lunch (and breakfast) Program. Echoing the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, the report stipulates that, for grain foods, "at least half must be whole grain-rich." To be considered 'whole grain-rich' foods must qualify as a grain serving (14.75g for most school foods) and must meet at least ONE of the following tests:

a. Must contain at least 8g of whole grain per serving (based on Child Nutrition Program serving sizes) OR
b. Must include the Whole Grain Health Claim on its packaging OR
c. Must list a whole grain as the first ingredient overall (for non-mixed dishes like breads, cereals) or as the first grain ingredient (for mixed dishes like pizza or corn dogs)

Though USDA needs to go through a lengthy rule-making process before changes based on these guidelines become mandates for school lunches, all manufacturers should consider this a sneak preview of what's coming soon.

It's gratifying to note that the IOM, respected in all areas of government as an independent arbiter of health issues, has clearly endorsed 8g per serving - the same standard as the Whole Grain Stamp - as its definition of "whole grain-rich." In fact, the report goes on to say that IOM's bottom-line recommendation is 8g per serving, and that options (b) and (c) above were thrown in just to make life easier if the grams-per-serving aren't clearly labeled. (Hard to imagine, but there are still some products out there without the Stamp!)

The take-away message? The Whole Grain Stamp is a trusted beacon for finding whole grain-rich products. Whether you sell to the school market or not, it's likely that the IOM report will affect you, as its definitions will be referenced by other government departments. It's very good news that the Whole Grains Council's approach is so clearly endorsed in this report. Click here to see the full report, especially Box 7-1, page 7-14 and Chapter 10, Recommendation 6.

"I LOVE MY WHOLE GRAINS" CONTEST WINNERS
We ran a great photo contest during September to celebrate Whole Grains Month. Whole grains lovers from across the U.S. sent us photos and little mini-essays extolling their favorite whole grains - and many of our members' products were featured in these photos.

We've included the winning entry, titled "Teaching Mom to Look for the Seal" here. You can see the top three entries, view a list of all winners, and link to the photos and essays of all winners on our website.

A big thank you once again to our prize donors...

For food: Anderson Trail, Annie's, Arrowhead Mills, Barbara's Bakery, Barilla, BimboUSA, Bob's Red Mill, ConAgra Mills, Corazonas, De Wafelbakkers, Dr. Kracker, Essential Eating, Flowers, FritoLay, Frontier Soups, Kashi, Mestemacher, Nestlé, Quaker Oats, Riviana, and Shiloh Farms
For cookbooks: Lorna Sass, Oldways, General Mills, Judith Finlayson, Robin Asbell, Jesse Cool, Tiffany Haugen, Peter Reinhart, and King Arthur Flour
For chef services: Paul Lynch and Joel Schaefer

CONGRATS TO THE WORLD PORRIDGE CHAMPS
Matt Cox, Marketing Manager at Bob's Red Mill, recently accepted the Golden Spurtle Trophy for world's best porridge, on behalf of WGC member Bob's Red Mill. The competition in Carrbridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland was fierce, but in the end Matt beat the Scots at their own game. You can read all about it on the WGC blog.

Has your company done something extraordinary? Tell us about it, and maybe your news will end up on our blog.