False integral, now Enough

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Integral, true or false? A growing demand-increasingly consumers prefer whole grains, at least 60 percent of young people ages 18-35 (1)-is being met by a varied, sometimes misleading supply. Here’s how to choose real whole grain products, and why to say Enough! to fakes.

Whole grains vs. refined grains, the health benefits

Numerous epidemiological studies over the decades have highlighted the beneficial effects of whole grain wheat, rice, oats, and barley as rich in germ and fiber. To improve bowel function, increase satiety, and help control weight and insulinemic levels.

Replacing refined grains with whole grains speeds up metabolism, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the study, the group of individuals who included whole grains in their diet ‘burned’ 100 kcal more each day than those who consumed only refined grains. First, through an increase in resting basal metabolic rate.



The



plant fibers


, for that matter, have recently revealed the power to nourish the


microbiota


, the intestinal bacterial population, and thus stimulate various organ functions.

Harvard University has added additional insights, drawn from very large prospective studies of American workers in the health care sector. (2) Both sweets and refined grains (as well as sugary drinks and potatoes) promote obesity, and whole grains-along with legumes, vegetables, fruits, and oil seeds-help prevent it.

Prevention of type 2diabetes, coronary heart disease, inflammatory diseases, and bowel cancer is in turn associated, in the above research, precisely with regular consumption of whole grains. Integral is therefore better, without a shadow of a doubt.

Integral, true or false? Here’s how to distinguish, and why

The wholemeal bread true – and breads from unrefined flours-can be distinguished, as noted, by the ingredient list.

Whole grain baked goods are distinguished by applying the same criterion. That is, only whole grain flours and semolina should be found in the ingredient list. On the other hand, when we read the presence of refined flours with added bran or middlings, we are dealing with a false whole grain.

Between true integral and false integral, the differences are crucial. It is worth remembering that the grain of cereals consists of three components, endosperm, bran and germ.

The germ-rich in high biological value proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals-rapidly deteriorates when its cells are broken down. That is, when the grain is opened, crushed (into flakes) or ground (into flours or semolina). And it is completely absent when the grain is refined, that is, stripped of its coating.

Type 00 flour, the most finely refined flour, is therefore completely devoid of germ and bran. So does type 0 flour, which does not deviate much from it. Type 1 and type 2 flours (the latter also known as ‘semi-integral’) are progressively less refined. They therefore contain an increasing amount of fiber and nutrients.

On the other hand, true whole-wheat flour comes from milling the whole grain, which thus retains the germ in its entirety, and the corresponding nutritional virtues.

False integral, why?

From the point of view of food technology, processing unrefined and whole-grain flours requires more effort, longer rising times, and different machinery.

Therefore, the easiest and cheapest solution is to process very fine flours, which by the way keep longer, and add bran to the dough.

Deception on the label was, among other things, authorized fifteen years ago in a Ministry of Production Activities circular that offered a ‘convenience’ interpretation to Big Food. (3)

The Ministry had at the time allowed both foods actually made with whole grain flours and those made with refined flours added to bran and middlings to be defined as ‘whole grain.’

False integral, now Enough!

The regulation ‘
Food Information to Consumers
is crystal clear in prescribing rigorous information to consumers with respect to food products. Having regard to mandatory as well as optional news. (4)


Food information provided on a voluntary basis
meet the following requirements:

(a) do not mislead the consumer, as described in Article 7,

(b) are not ambiguous or confusing to the consumer, and

(c) are, where appropriate, based on relevant scientific data‘ (EU Reg. 1169/11, Article 36.2).

Fair information practices defined in Article 7 of EU Regulation 1169/11, in turn, prohibit misleading the consumer:

– ‘with regard to thecharacteristics of the food and, in particular, the nature, identity, properties, composition (…), method of manufacture or production.’

– ‘Suggesting, through appearance, description, or illustrations, the presence of a particular food [e.g., whole-grain] or an ingredient [e.g., whole wheat flour]., while in fact a naturally occurring component or ingredient normally used in that food [e.g., whole-wheat flour]. has been replaced with a different component or ingredient [e.g., refined flour with bran added].’

Therefore, integral forgery must now be punished under Leg. 231/17, Article 3.

With a fine of 3,000 to 24,000 euros, ‘unless the act constitutes a crime.’ (5)

Dario Dongo and Carlotta Suardi

Notes

(1) Source, Doxa research, June 2015

(2) ‘Association Between Dietary Whole Grain Intake and Risk of Mortality. Two Large Prospective Studies in US Men and Women’,
Jama Internal Medicine
(2015;175(3):373-384), doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6283

(3) Cf. Circ. Ministry of Productive Activities no. 168/2003.

N.B.: The aforementioned circular – having a merely guiding nature – was issued on the basis of a regulation (legislative decree 109/92) that had been repealed in the meantime, since it was precisely superseded by reg. EU 1169/11

(4) See reg. EU 1169/11, Articles 7 and 36

(5) For more on the penalties to be applied to violations of reg. EU 1169/11, appeal is made to free ebook ‘1169 penis. Food news, inspections and penalties‘, at https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/libri/1169-pene-e-book-gratuito-su-delitti-e-sanzioni-nel-food

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Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.

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Nutritionist biologist, ADA II level master at the University of Milan Bicocca. External lecturer at LUNEX University, Luxembourg.