Nutrition recommendations

The World Health Organisation recommends at least 55% of total calories or kilojoules eaten each day should come from carbohydrates provided by foods such as grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit.

In July 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration considered that there was sufficient evidence to support the following health claim on food products:

"Diets rich in wholegrain foods and other plant foods and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce risk of coronary heart disease and certain cancers".

The US FDA defined wholegrains as "any food that is a grain or any food that contains at least 51% by weight of any combination of whole grains".

Nutrition recommendations and dietary guidelines are periodically updated to ensure they are consistent with new findings in nutrition research as well as changes in the food choices and health issues of the target population.