Walking through the bread or baked-goods aisle at a supermarket or visiting a local retail bakery is quite different than 10 years ago. The myriad choices are daunting, to say the least. But that loaf of 12-grain bread doesn’t necessarily mean you will see or taste 12 different grains. More likely, those grains will be in the form of flour. While whole oats have long graced the tops of bread loaves as the token “intact” grain, consumers are now demanding more intact grains as the surge in whole-grain awareness and consumption continues.
Intact grains are the next evolution in the whole-grains movement. Grains are considered whole as long as all three edible parts—the bran, germ and endosperm—are still present in their original proportions. It’s okay if the grain has been ground, cracked, flaked or otherwise processed. But as more consumers and diners seek food options that are rich in whole-grain goodness, they’re now looking for characteristics that better distinguish, say, a slice of soft, light-brown, whole-wheat bread from their favorite enriched white-flour breads of yesteryear. They want those textural and color contrasts that characterize the incorporation of intact grains.