Seeking consistency with our messaging
Most Australians, like many others in our modern world, do not consume sufficient whole-grain foods to support optimum health. Dietary Guidelines around the world include messaging to choose more whole grains yet are not included in algorithms for nutrient profiling systems such as the Health Star Rating. Recently, some researchers have targeted the degree of processing as a primary target for public health messaging, as research on higher intakes of ultra-processed foods highlights increased chronic disease risk. However, the NOVA rating system, which categorises foods from minimally processed to ultra-processed, includes many whole-grain breads and cereals as “ultra-processed foods”. Our research investigates the unintended consequences of avoiding foods defined as ultra-processed foods in NOVA and seeks to identify if whole-grain foods are mis-classified in such systems. This webinar will discuss research on whole grains and whole-grain foods, where they sit in NOVA, and how food classification systems are important in consumer messaging.