1 Grains in School Nutrition Programs Part I

2 Grain Requirements for NSLP and SBP (SP ) 1.USDA Memo SP addresses the new use of “ounce equivalencies” (oz eq) in the school meal programs and defines “whole grain-rich” (WGR). 2.Link to USDA Memo SP to USDA Memo SP Quantities of grains are based on ounce equivalencies in a manner that is consistent with guidance found at: Link to USDA Dietary Guidelines For Americans website Link to USDA Dietary Guidelines For Americans website Link to MyPlate Food Guidance System website

3 Calculating Ounce Equivalencies Grain ounce equivalencies can be calculated two different ways: 1.Using the ounce weight of a product as listed in SP & updated Exhibit A. 2.Determining the actual grams of creditable grain in each product from either of the following: Standardized recipe. Product Formulation Statement (PFS) signed by manufacturer.

4 Exhibit A Here is the new exhibit A. One significant change you will see is that ounce equivalent replaced serving size. To determine the ounce equivalencies of grain products, you will identify the product within the Groups, and then look up the corresponding ounce equivalency, based on the gram or ounce weight of the product. There are certain limitations expressed in the footnotes of Exhibit A that meal planners need to consider.

5 Exhibit A Continued Another change was removing the term “grain-fruit bars” and clarifying that this category includes cereal bars, breakfast bars and granola bars (Group D & E). It is important to make sure you are using the correct portion size for the different types of cereals. These are listed under Group I.

6 Ounce Equivalent Standards Grain products must be credited using the oz eq method. Baked Goods must have 16 grams of creditable grain to provide 1 ounce equivalent credit. This includes breads, biscuits, and bagels. Cereal Grains must have 28 grams of dry product (approximately 1 ounce by weight) with a cooked volume equivalent of ½ cup cooked. This includes oatmeal, pasta, and brown rice. Ready-To-Eat Cereal must have 28 grams or 1.0 ounce of product to be considered a 1 ounce equivalent.  1 cup of flakes or rounds  1 ¼ cups puffed cereal  ¼ cup granola

7 Comparing the Two Methods of Calculating Ounce Equivalencies

8 Total Weight vs Creditable Grain Compare the total weight of the baked product versus using the weight of creditable grain. Total Weight: Calculation is based on the total weight of the product divided by 1 ounce (the standard weight listed for a Group B product). You must round DOWN, so the slice of bread credits as 0.75 ounce equivalent grains per slice. Creditable Grains: Calculation is based on the grams of creditable grain ingredients. Divide the grams of creditable grain by the standard of 16 grams per ounce equivalent. Allowing either method of calculation allows flexibility for the menu planner.

9 Crediting By Weight We are going to go over product formulation statements or PFS. The first example is a PFS that will use the crediting standards based on the weight of a product, as shown in Exhibit A. The manufacturer will complete the PFS to provide documentation of ounce equivalent grains in a serving of the product. A serving of pancakes credits as 1.25 ounce equivalent grains in this example, using crediting standards from Exhibit A.

10 Creditable Grains The second PFS example will show how a grain product is credited using the grams of creditable grain in a product. Using this method, a serving of pancakes credits as 2 ounce equivalent grains.

11 Whole Grain-Rich Criteria

12 What is a Whole Grain? Whole grains consist of the entire cereal grain seed or kernel. The kernel has 3 parts – bran, germ and endosperm. Usually the kernel is cracked, crushed or flaked during the milling process. If the finished product retains the same relative proportions of bran, germ and endosperm as the original grain, it is considered a whole grain.

13 Whole Grain-Rich (WGR) Products Beginning School Year (SY) : All grains served in school breakfast and lunch programs must be Whole Grain-Rich unless: A School Food Authority (SFA) has an approved Whole Grain-Rich (WGR) exemption or pasta waiver for certain products.

14 Whole Grain-Rich vs Whole Grain Beginning SY , all grains served in school breakfast and lunch programs must be whole grain-rich. 1.This does not mean the product has to be 100% whole grain. 2.Whole grain-rich is defined as a product with at least 50% whole grain. 3.The rest of product/blend must be enriched.

15 What Foods Meet Whole Grain-Rich Criteria? A product is whole grain-rich if it is: 100% whole grain OR A blend of: Whole-grain meal and/or flour (50% or more) and Enriched meal and/or flour (50% or less) If there is a blend of whole grain and other enriched flour, you have to know the amounts of each in order to determine if product is whole grain-rich.

16 Examples of Whole Grains Cracked wheat Crushed wheat Whole-wheat flour Graham flour Entire-wheat flour Bromated whole-wheat flour Whole durum wheat flour Quinoa Millet Amaranth The word whole listed before a grain - e.g. whole wheat Berries & groats are used to designate whole grains – e.g. wheat berries or oat groats Rolled oats & oatmeal (includes old-fashioned, quick cooking, instant) Brown rice, brown rice flour, wild rice Triticale, teff Sorghum Buckwheat

17 Examples of NON-Whole Grains Whole corn meal or whole-grain corn meal is whole grain. Degerminated corn meal is not considered whole grain. Grits only count if they are made from whole-grain corn.

18 Noncreditable Grains less than 2 percent There are some grain ingredients that do not contribute towards the meal pattern requirements. This will be indicated on product labels in the ingredients area.

19 Whole Grain-Rich Product Checklist Whole Grain-Rich products must meet the Element 1 criteria and any one of the three Element 2 criteria listed below: Element 1: The item must meet the oz eq requirements as defined in Exhibit A. Element 2: The item must also meet one of the following conditions: 1.Whole grains per serving must be ≥ 8 grams for Groups A-G 2.Contains FDA 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.” 3.Whole grain is first ingredient in the product listing

20 Ways To Determine If Products Meet Whole Grain-Rich Requirements 1.Ingredient declaration from a product carton that shows a whole grain as the primary ingredient by weight. 2.Copy of a food label showing amount of whole grain in grams for NSLP/SBP serving size. 3.Copy of food label displaying one of the FDA whole-grain health claims. 4.Recipe that includes the ingredients & ingredient amounts by weight & volume.

21 Whole Grain-Rich Requirements Continued 5. Customized product formulation statement on manufacturer letterhead. 6. USDA Foods Fact Sheet - Applicable for foods indicated as meeting the whole grain-rich criteria. Fact sheets must be accompanied by acceptable manufacturer documentation if it is not clear the item meets whole grain-rich criteria. 7. USDA authorized CN labels for entrée items that include grains.

22 Fortification of Cereals A ready-to-eat breakfast cereal must be fortified or 100% whole grain to meet program requirements. To verify that a cereal is fortified: Check cereal products for an ingredient statement on the side or back of the box. Sample ingredient list Whole grain wheat, sugar, psyllium seed husk, oat fiber, contains 2% or less of salt, baking soda, caramel color, annatto color, BHT for freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid), niacinamide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) Remember...100% whole grain cereals do not need to be fortified