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FDA Approves Heart, Cancer Health Claim for Brown Rice
From the USA Rice Federation
ARLINGTON, VA, May 8, 2008 —
Brown rice, a 100 percent whole grain food, joins the recognized
ranks of healthful whole grains, according to an announcement this week from
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will allow brown rice food
labels to bear the whole grain health claim.
 This
will enable consumers to easily identify brown rice as a food to help them
increase whole grain consumption and reduce their risk of heart disease and
certain cancers.
Brown rice and other whole grain foods are widely
recommended to consumers by the public health community including the
American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and the 2005 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans for their protective effects against heart disease
and certain cancers.
In fact, the Dietary Guidelines recommend “making half
of all grain servings whole,” or three daily whole grain servings in a
standard 2,000-calorie reference diet. Still, data from a recent consumer
survey conducted by EatingWell magazine and the USA Rice Federation show
that the majority of Americans (65 percent) are not meeting their whole
grains quota.1
Consumers can now be on the lookout for brown rice
labeled with the FDA whole grain health claim: “Diets rich in whole grain
foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and
cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers."
FDA’s action explicitly extends an existing health claim
to include whole grain rice. For the first time, FDA states that all single
ingredient whole grain foods qualify for the claim regardless of whether
they meet the requirement for a minimum level of dietary fiber, as long as
they meet the other general health claim requirements.
The dietary fiber requirement was established in 1999 in
order to monitor compliance with the claim. FDA now states that compliance
for single ingredient whole grain foods will be monitored by examining
package ingredient statements, not through fiber content. The science on
which the health claim is based clearly acknowledges that the health
benefits of whole grains are independent of their fiber content.
From a public health perspective, this news means that
now there’s one more option for the nearly 90 percent of Americans who know
that whole grains should be part of a healthy diet and the 70 percent who
say they would be likely to increase whole grain consumption if the benefits
were clearly listed on the package1.
 “Rice
is the most popular grain around the world, which makes brown rice a great
choice for increasing whole grain intake,” says Joann Slavin, PhD, RD, whole
grains expert and Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the University
of Minnesota. “In the United States, where chronic diseases such as heart
disease and cancers are common, encouraging whole grain brown rice
consumption could have a significant public health impact.”
One hundred percent whole grain brown rice is an
economical, nutritious and versatile food. With only the inedible hull
removed, brown rice contains beneficial phytonutrients including
antioxidants, anthocyanins, phytosterols, tocopherols oryzanol and many
other potentially protective substances that have been found to help reduce
the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, type II diabetes and potentially
aid in weight maintenance.
Brown rice also contains 15 vitamins and minerals,
including B-vitamins, potassium, magnesium, selenium, iron, and 2 grams of
fiber per one half cup of cooked rice.
According to the EatingWell/USA Rice survey:
-
87 percent of consumers know
that whole grains are good for them. However, while more than 80 percent
know whole grains can be protective against cardiovascular disease, less
than two-thirds are aware that they also offers protection against
certain cancers.
-
There’s still confusion about
what foods are whole grains. While 80 percent of consumers know that
brown rice is a whole grain, more than 80 percent also mistakenly think
that bran cereal and breads marked simply as “wheat” are also whole
grains.
-
Most individuals (80 percent)
said they would be likely to eat more whole grains if these foods were
clearly labeled as whole grains; and another 68 percent said they would
increase consumption if the health benefits were stated on the package.
“Since eating just one cup of brown rice is equivalent
to two of the three recommended daily whole grain servings, the new health
claim will certainly assist people in meeting their whole grain goals,” said
Slavin.
"This is a milestone event. Today brown rice joins the
recognized ranks of healthful foods that are entitled to make this claim.
Having this information on packages of brown rice will help consumers
increase whole grain consumption and reduce their risk of heart disease and
some cancers," said Al Montna, chairman of the USA Rice Federation.
The FDA action adds support to the growing body of
scientific data that shows that rice is a healthy food choice. Recent
research found that rice eaters are more likely to eat a diet consistent
with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.2 Americans who eat rice have
healthier diets than non-rice eaters and may have reduced risk for chronic
diseases including heart disease and type II diabetes.2, 3
Compared to people who do not eat rice, people who eat
rice consume less added sugar and fat; consume more nutrients, such as folic
acid, potassium and iron that are contained in rice products; are less
likely to be overweight or have an increased waist circumference; have 34
percent reduced risk of having high blood pressure; and have a 21 percent
reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.3
In both whole grain brown and enriched white forms, rice
is a complex carbohydrate that is naturally low in calories, is sodium-,
gluten- and cholesterol-free, has just a trace of fat, and contains no trans
or saturated fat.
Due to its mild flavor, rice also complements many other
healthy foods, including vegetables, lean meat, seafood, poultry, beans and
soy foods. Rice is nutritious due to its nutrient profile, and it is also
highly-digestible and non-allergenic, and can be enjoyed by young and old
alike. Rice poses no risk for those who are sensitive to or intolerant of
gluten or other proteins commonly found in other grain-based foods.
U.S.-grown rice accounts for nearly 88 percent of the
rice consumed in America, and there is an ample supply of U.S.-grown rice
for the domestic market. Rice is grown and harvested by farmers in five
south central states and California according to the highest quality
standards. The U.S. produces short, medium and long grain rice, as well as
specialty rices including jasmine, basmati, and arborio, red aromatic and
black japonica, among others. For more information, visit
www.usarice.com.
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