Behind the Grain: Refining Perspectives on the Public Health Role of Enriched and Fortified Grain Foods

11:30AM ET
Presented by Grain Foods Research Institute

This FREE webinar is being submitted for 1.25 CPEUs from the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Enriched and fortified grains have eliminated B-vitamin deficiencies, reduced neural tube defects, and supported iron adequacy. The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for American's overhaul of well-established recommendations – including macronutrient distributions – could reverse these public health successes and may risk increased consumer confusion. This webinar will review the evidence base for staple grain foods in healthy dietary patterns.

Since the 1940s, enrichment and fortification of staple grain foods have addressed public health issues by improving micronutrient intake and associated diet quality, nearly eliminating B vitamin deficiency diseases, and significantly reducing the prevalence of neural tube defects – which is critical since Americans don’t eat enough whole grain foods to achieve these benefits. Enriched and fortified refined grain foods have also become a primary source of dietary fiber, an underconsumed nutrient of public health concern.  

Despite these science-based public health successes, the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating no enriched and fortified grain foods. At the same time, consumers are increasingly focusing on achieving macronutrient targets – with an emphasis on eating more protein – to achieve better health. Focusing only on whole grain foods, without acknowledging the other staple grain foods that Americans enjoy, could lead to greater consumer confusion about the beneficial role of carbohydrate-containing foods. Also at risk is exacerbating already low intakes of dietary fiber, inadequacy of key nutrients for vulnerable populations (e.g., iron, folate), worsening diet quality, and increasing the rate of NTDs, as well as associated medical costs.  

This webinar will address the scientific rationale behind enrichment and fortification of grain foods and elevate opportunities to help Americans navigate dietary guidance and optimize their health with enriched and fortified staple grain foods as part of a healthy dietary pattern.