The American Bakers Association, Washington, D.C., encouraged the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to maintain the current recommended daily level of six-grain servings as part of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“The complex carbohydrates in grain-based foods provide essential fuel the body needs and are the foundation for a healthy lifestyle,” states president and CEO Robb MacKie of the ABA, in oral testimony presented mid-July. “Grain foods are well-liked by adults and children and provide an excellent vehicle for Americans to obtain good nutrition.”

MacKie specifically stressed that since 1941, bakers have enriched products with iron and B vitamins including riboflavin, niacin and thiamine to maintain a healthy nervous system and increase energy production. Grain foods were singled out because health officials recognized they were economical foods that served as the base of Americans’ diets.