Whole-grain trend may re-energize grain industry after low-carb induced slump

• Whole grains are pumping new life into grain consumption, which slumped during an Atkins/low-carb diet trend.
• "Whole grains is a fast growing trend," said Kim Hamilton, international marketing specialist with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
• It's a trend that suits Rubschlager Baking Corp., Chicago, which has baked whole-grain breads for years, said Joan Rubschlager, the company's secretary-treasurer.
• Rubschlager distributed product samples at the recent Food Marketing Institute (FMI) supermarket show in Chicago.
• Rubschlager breads appeared in a recent whole-grain story on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
• Interest and attention to whole-grain products are being spurred by the Whole Grains Council that developed a stamp delineating whole-grain products.
• "We think what we're doing is bringing greater awareness of whole grains," said Cynthia Harriman of the Whole Grains Council.
• The council's membership has quadrupled since last year, from 17 to 68.
• Members range from manufacturers to grower groups.
• Now, in the waning days of the low-carb mania, consumers are somewhat reluctant to eat foods higher in carbohydrates, Harriman explained.
• However, they will consider eating whole-grain foods and may "go back to grains through the whole-grains group," she added.
• The new whole-grain stamp will appear on many product packages in mid- to late summer as companies switch over to new labels, Harriman explained.
• Companies planning to use the whole-grain stamp include General Mills and Kellogg, as well as Rubschlager.
• To date, manufacturers have anecdotal evidence --- but not hard data --- that consumption of whole-grain products is up, according to Harriman.
• She wasn't sure whether the whole-grain stamp has helped boost consumption, but said the recently announced new USDA dietary guidelines are making a difference.