Milling & Baking News - April 30, 2013 - 26

Industry Activities 

Grain foods industry becomes more
proactive with regard to faddists
PALM COAST, FLA. — In an age of instant
communication and media and Internet
hype, purported experts on health and nutrition easily find an audience for assertions
related to food that may lack solid scientific
grounding but may make for a good story
with catchy headlines and news bytes.
The grain-based foods industry all too often has found itself in a position of having to
play catch up when confronting such mediafacilitated fads and misrepresentations of its
products. But Christine Cochran, executive
director of the Grain Foods Foundation, in a
March 25 address before the annual Division
Meeting of the North American Millers’ Association, outlined a plan of action that may
help the industry become more assertive
and proactive with regard to known threats
on the horizon, such as the book written by
David Perlmutter and titled “Grain Brain:
The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs,
and Sugar — Your Brain’s Silent Killers,”
which is scheduled for publication this September (see related stories on Page 25).
Ms. Cochran indicated the industry was
readying itself for Dr. Perlmutter’s book and

any other assaults on the healthfulness of
grain-based foods.
She pointed out associations
representing the various sectors of
grain-based foods were more united
than ever before, and consultations
among them facilitated by the G.F.F.
will increase in the coming weeks in
anticipation of the release of Dr. Perlmutter’s book and other challenges.
Ms. Cochran said the G.F.F.’s already
prestigious scientific advisory board will be
strengthened with an eye to extending its expertise to include the fields of neurology and
pediatric neurology. She also said the G.F.F.
will reach out to other health and diet organizations that have allied with the G.F.F. and
the grain-based foods industry on other vital
nutrition efforts and initiatives.
The G.F.F. also will undertake a review of
the scientific literature that will help prepare
the industry not only for assaults such as that
promised by “Grain Brain,” but position the
industry to document recent research into
the healthfulness of grain products and their
contribution to health and wellness.

Ms. Cochran said when the G.F.F. was
founded in 2004, it conducted a 10-year
review of the scientific literature. The proposed five-year review of literature will fill
the gap since the last review and will coincide with the federal five-year review of literature conducted in connection in preparing updated Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. She said the
review of literature not only would assist
the industry in terms of messaging with
regard to “Grain Brain” but also position
the industry to contribute to nutrition discussions with policy-makers.
The G.F.F. was considering a media/
public relations campaign in relation to
“Grain Brain,” Ms. Cochran said, including desk-side conversations, engaging
the blogging community, and arranging
site visits to bakeries
Ms. Cochan said the foundation also
will provide media training to G.F.F. members such as webinars that may help them
in their own efforts to answer the claims of
Dr. Perlmutter and other “bread-rappers.”
Finally, the G.F.F. will rally the
“grainiacs,” a term used by Ms. Cochran
to describe social media expressing real
appreciation for bread and other grain
foods and common sense diets. MBN

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Milling & Baking News - April 30, 2013

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