At the 7th International Whole Grain Day event “Building a Whole Grain Generation: Aligning policy and industry innovation for healthier diets from the earliest stages”, experts came together with a shared goal: to make whole grain food a daily reality for every child.
Shifting to healthier, sustainable diets is essential1 for human health and food security – with whole grains forming the base of a balanced plate alongside fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Whole grains are among the most cost-effective tools to improve public health, as Professors Roberto Volpe and Michael Goran emphasised.
Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, they help2 reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Encouraging wholegrain consumption is therefore not just a nutritional choice but it is a cornerstone for a healthier future.
For children, daily whole grain intake support3 healthy growth and reduces obesity risk by up to 40%. Establishing these habits early is crucial and health professional play a key role in educating caregivers, noted Nestlé Nutrition’s Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs John Athanatos.
For children, daily whole grain intake support healthy growth and reduces obesity risk by up to 40%
Yet despite clear evidence, global consumption remains far below recommendations. The good news? We know what works - and with policymakers as partners, we have the power to scale it.
Various countries are showing what’s possible. In Denmark4 and Sweden5, public-private partnerships have helped increase national whole grain intake. In Rwanda6 and Kenya7, school meal programmes are integrating whole grains into daily menus, improving both nutrition and equity.
Industry is stepping up, too. The breakfast cereal sector has made significant strides, “increasing whole grain content by nearly 40%”, while improving fiber levels and reducing sugars, noted Ece Nevra Göncü, President of CEEREAL.
As Christelle Avart, Chair of the Whole Grain Initiative’s Policy Working Group, reminded participants, we now have an opportunity to turn momentum into action. And there is “a lot of interest from authorities” added Aurora Perez Cornago from the Joint Research Center of the European Commission.
To seize the moment, the Whole Grain Initiative urges policymakers to act, starting with four clear measures outlined in its Declaration of Acts.
- Adopt a harmonised definition8 of whole grain and clear labelling standards; endorsing the upcoming ISO standard9 would be a strong step forward.
- Include whole grains in front-of-pack labels and nutrient profiling - and incentivise reformulation to make them more visible and accessible.
- Make whole grains a requirement in school meals and other public canteens.
- Support public-private partnerships to raise awareness and access to whole grain food.
Encouraging wholegrain consumption is therefore not just a nutritional choice but it is a cornerstone for a healthier future
The benefits are clear: healthier children, reduced rates of chronic disease and long-term savings10 for national health systems. Increasing whole grain consumption could significantly reduce11 the economic burden of non-communicable diseases, which dominate healthcare spending worldwide.
Let’s make whole grains an everyday habit. Let’s build a Whole Grain Generation… starting today!
List of references
1. Rockström J, Thilsted SH, Willett WC, Gordon LJ, Herrero M, Hicks CC, et al. The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems. Lancet. 2025;406(10512):1625–1700. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01201-2.
2. Chen GC et al. (2016). Whole-grain intake and total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 104(1):164-172. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.122432
3. Choumenkovitch SF, McKeown NM, Tovar A, et al. Whole grain consumption is inversely associated with BMI Z-score in rural school-aged children. Public Health Nutrition. 2013;16(2):212-218. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012003527
4. The Guardian (2025, April 3) The wholegrain revolution! How Denmark changed the diet – and health – of their entire nation. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/apr/23/the-wholegrain-revolution-how-denmark-changed-the-diet-and-health-of-their-entire-nation
5. FullkornsFrämjandet (2025). Improving public health. https://fullkornsframjandet.se/en/fullkornsframjandet/
6. Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (2025). Rwanda has set a bright example by committing to universal school feeding. https://fwg-alliance.org/our-initiatives/rwanda/
7. Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (2025). Unlocking Fortification Through Posho Millers. https://fwg-alliance.org/unlocking-fortification-through-posho-millers/
8. van der Kamp JW, Miller Jones J, Miller KB, Ross AB, Seal CJ, Tan B, et al. Consensus, global definitions of whole grain as a food ingredient and of whole-grain foods presented on behalf of the Whole Grain Initiative. Nutrients. 2022;14(1):138. doi:10.3390/nu14010138
9. International Organization for Standardization. Whole grain - Definition and technical criteria. ISO Standard No. 20810:2025. Available from: https://www.iso.org/standard/86475.html
10. Miller, K. B., Grafenauer, S. J., & Martikainen, J. (2022). Nutrition economics: Four analyses supporting the case for whole grain consumption. Journal of Cereal Science, 105, 103455.
11. Afshin, A., Sur, P., Fay, K., Cornaby, L., et al. (2019). Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 393(10184), 1958–1972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8
The Whole Grain Initiative (WGI), a global collaboration of research, health and industry professionals committed to advancing the understanding and consumption of whole grains. The WGI promotes whole grains as a key component of healthier and more sustainable diets, based on strong scientific evidence of their nutritional, health and economic benefits.
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