A March 2007 Harris Interactive poll found that only 36 percent of Americans think bread provides any health benefits, and 9 percent of American women between the ages of 35 and 44 think bread is fattening.
 

“Many Americans are not aware of the advancements in the category and do not recognize the important nutrients that bread contains,†said Judi Adams, president, Grain Foods Foundation, Ridgway, Colo.

The seminar will focus on recent innovations that are constantly changing the nutrient profile of bread and other grain-based foods. New understanding of prebiotics, omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin D fortified yeast, alternative grain flours, soy, fruits, additional fiber and resistant starch are among items currently reshaping grain foods’ nutrient profile.

The educational session will describe how enriched grain products are the number one provider of folic acid in the American diet. Since this addition was declared mandatory to enriched grains, neural tube birth defects have decreased by one-third in the U.S., according to the Grain Foods Foundation.