Traditionally, the ABA Marketing Committee worked to expand the National Nutrition Education Program. This program was the joint effort of ABA and the Wheat Foods Council to continually educate the American public on the importance of increasing nutrition education and the consumption of bread and grain-based foods in the daily diet of Americans. The program focused mostly on ABA 's target audience of “moms” to convey the message that commercially baked bread, rolls, crackers and other grain-based foods are convenient, economical and are healthful and low-fat.

In 2004, the American Bakers Association and North American Millers Association, whose members are responsible for producing millions of loaves of bread each year, teamed up through a joint Marketing Committee to form a new third party Foundation—The Grain Foods Foundation—to tout the benefits of bread and grains. The Committee and ABA staff liaison, Lee Sanders, Vice President for Regulatory and Technical Services, worked relentlessly for the last two years to establish the new Foundation.

Bread is Making a Comeback
Over the past few years, the low-carb phenomenon has taken a bite out of bread sales and flour consumption. Unfortunately, many of the anti-carbohydrate factions created stories and misinformation with wide consumer appeal while propagating the myth that carbohydrates cause obesity. As a result, consumers lost sight of important, basic nutritional facts. To combat the negative image being bestowed upon baked goods and carbohydrates, and as part of the Foundation’s efforts, a public relations firm, Mullen, was hired to devise a public education campaign to communicate that bread and grains are an essential building block for long-term health and wellness. Armed with sound, scientific facts, the new public relations campaign is giving bread the power it needs to fight back.

	Learn more about the Public relations campaign aimed at touting the benefits of bread and grains.  Learn How You Can Support the Grain Foods Foundation

The Grains Foundation Takes Action
On June 9, 2004, the American Bakers Association (ABA) and the North American Millers Association (NAMA) held a pivotal meeting with over 30 attendees that included a broad cross section of industry representatives—including the Chairman of the Baking Industry Suppliers Association (BEMA) and the Chairman of the Allied Trade of the Baking Industry (ATBI) and the American Institute of Baking (AIB). The group came together to hear presentations from WirthlinWorldwide on the results of their recently completed, comprehensive consumer research project and from Mullen on their public relations/promotion campaign that was based on the results of the in-depth Wirthlin research. At the end of June, the first official Trustees meeting for the Foundation took place and a new direction and energy propelled the Foundation and its mission.

Effective September 1, Judi Adams, MS, RD, became President of the newly formed Foundation. The public relations campaign focusing in New York City and Washington, D.C., and the Foundation’s web site officially launched on February 1, 2005—www.grainpower.org is a 24/7 information bank including all the reasons Americans should be including grain foods, especially bread, in their diets. The February 1 launch garnered $31.5 million in advertising equivalency.

Fiscal Year 2005/2006 will be focusing on the use of the Grains for Life logo on members’ packaging, with the March of Dimes partnership and in retail store promotions – where the consumer makes their buying decisions. A twelve-member, highly credentialed scientific advisory board helps formulate consumer messages and are spokespersons for the Foundation.

"Low-Carb" Continues...
While the Atkins diet is on its death bed, there remains a “low-carb hangover” in the consumer psychic. Many Americans, while not continuing to be on a low-carb diet per se, are still convinced that carbohydrates are bad for them, especially the "white” ones. The Foundation is counting on the support of the entire baking industry—bakers and its suppliers—to change this consumer attitude. The budget for the first year was $4 million, with the majority going toward the public relations campaign. The Foundation continues to seek investors to increase the visibility of the message that bread and grains are essential.

GFF News and Updates

8-7-08 - August 2008 Progress Report - Celebrate the Sandwich, August is National Sandwich Month!

6-11-08 - June 2008 Progress Report - Highlights on Recent Folic Acid Seal Coverage, California Raisin Marketing Board's Membership and Bread Contest

5-20-2008 - May 2008 Progress Report - Another Successful Year of March of Dimes' "March for Babies"  

4-27-08 - ABA and NAMA Participate in March of Dimes' March for Babies in Washington, D.C.

4-27-08 - A Special Thank You to Sponsors - Pictures of Washington, D.C. March of Dimes March for Babies Event - With Help From Sponsors, ABA and NAMA Help GFF Spread Message About Fortification of Enriched Bread with Folic Acid at the Washington, D.C. March of Dimes' "March for Babies"

4-27-08 - Photos of "Slice" Making Lots of New Friends at the Washington, D.C. March of Dimes' "March for Babies"

5-5-2008 - Happy Mothers' Day from GFF!  Click here for the GFF May Employee Newsletter Celebrating Mothers' Day and the Importance of Grain Foods in Their Diets.

GFF March 2008 Progress Report

3-4-08 - The GFF March Employee Newsletter

"Oat Your Heart Out - Oatmeal and Cholesterol Connection Reaffirmed After 10 Years"

2-19-08 - The USDA Industry Challenge - The Center for Policy and Promotion (CNPP) has challenged the industry to help distribute information about USDA's MyPyramid. 

Partner with MyPyramid: USDA Invites Industry to Step Up for Nutritious Choices

February 2008 - GFF February 2008 Progress Report - GFF's latest progress report features highlights of its great media coverage received for its satellite media tour, folic acid seal, and both the print and television PSA's.

GFF February 2008 Progress Report

2-12-08 - Seal Seeks Women's Notice

Washington Post - A new seal will soon make it easier to spot some grocery products fortified with folic acid -- a B vitamin that's needed for a healthy pregnancy.

The seal's appearance on packages of bread, pasta and other foods comes after a March of Dimes survey last year that revealed a shortage of knowledge about the nutrient among women ages 18 to 24.

Folic acid, which promotes healthy spinal cord and brain development, is critical during the first three weeks of pregnancy. A deficiency can result in neural tube defects such as spina bifida, in which vertebrae don't enclose the spine correctly. (The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid per day. The March of Dimes suggests women start taking folic acid a year before they want to get pregnant.)

For now, the "folic acid for a healthy pregnancy" seal is available only to member companies of the Grain Foods Foundation. In addition to the foods marketed by these firms, sources of folic acid or folate (the natural version of folic acid) include spinach, strawberries and orange juice; these grocery items will not display the seal.

The seal certifies a product has "at least 10 percent per serving of the recommended daily amount of folic acid for women of childbearing age," says foundation spokeswoman Angela Fiovanello.

January 2008 - GFF January 2008 Progress Report

The GFF January 2008 Progress Report highlights the incredible coverage GFF has received to date for its "Ten Years of Saving Babies" campaign. There is also a reminder to use the March of Dimes folic acid seal on your enriched grain products and encouragement to participate in our "March for Babies" booths. GFF knows that booths aren't available in all locales, however, it encourages you to still participate in local events where possible.  

GFF Investor February 2008 Newsletter - The GFF February 2008 Newsletter focuses on the value of enrichment/fortification to grain foods as we are celebrating folic acid awareness week and Healthy Baby Month - contributed by Ian Trood of Caravan Ingredients.

1-10-08 - GFF and March of Dimes Rings the Closing Bell at NYSE!
On Thursday, January 10, the Grain Foods Foundation and March of Dimes rang the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate the 10th anniversary of folic acid fortification. The entire baking industry should be proud of its part in dramatically reducing certain birth defects. Representatives from the Grain Foods Foundation, March of Dimes, American Bakers Association, North American Millers Association and BEMA were in attendance for this historical event.  Click here to watch the live telecast or see the archive link below.

Archive Link

http://mfile.akamai.com/7096/wmv/nyse.download.akamai.com/7096/Cbell-01102008.asx

The Grain Foods Foundation Announces the Launch of the "Kick-off of Ten Years of Saving Babies" Media Campaign!

On January 9, the Grain Foods Foundation launched its "Ten Years of Saving Babies" campaign with a satellite media tour in New York City.  Dr. Judith Reichman did an outstanding job conducting more than two dozen interviews in cities across the country. Please take a moment to click on the links below to watch a handful of television segments which ran live earlier today. 

Salt Lake City, KTVX-TV (ABC affiliate) - 21,000 viewers

http://work.mullen.com/clients/grain-foods/salt-lake/

Tulsa, KJRH-TV (NBC affiliate) - 20,500 viewers

http://work.mullen.com/clients/grain-foods/tulsa/

Augusta, GA, WJBF-TV (ABC affiliate) - 10,588 viewers

http://work.mullen.com/clients/grain-foods/augusta/

ABA and GFF will send members regular updates on media events.

1-7-08 - GFF Announces the Launch of the Kick-Off of "Ten Years of Saving Babies" Media Campaign!

TWO EXCITING EVENTS! 

• GFF to unveil new Folic Acid for a Health Pregnancy seal on Wednesday morning's
  (1-9-08) Today Show. Be sure to tune in!
• GFF to Ring Closing Bell at NYSE!!  January 10, 4:00 pm EST (live link to media coverage below)

This week marks a significant milestone in the history of the Grain Foods Foundation and the entire industry.  In recognition and celebration of the ten year anniversary of the FDA’s folic acid fortification mandate, we will be launching our Ten Years of Saving Babies campaign on Wednesday of this week though national media relations outreach. We will unveil the new Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy seal that was developed by GFF in partnership with the March of Dimes during a satellite media tour with spokesperson, Dr. Judith Reichman, a leading women’s health expert and TODAY Show contributor, on Wednesday morning.  

We have already generated a significant amount of media interest leading up to this week’s campaign launch.   We have booked 24 radio and television interviews across the country for Wednesday’s SMT, including in top markets such as Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Miami, Denver, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Sacramento, Kansas City and Salt Lake City.  Most recently, we have secured industry coverage on ProgressiveGrocer.com (attached) which reaches 35,000 unique visitors per month, as well as Milling & Baking News and Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery.  

Milling & Baking News Article

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery Article

ProgressiveGrocer.com Article

Additionally, we will be ringing the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, January 10th along with the March of Dimes.  The closing bell ceremony will be covered live on CNBC, Fox News and Bloomberg at 4:00pm ET on Thursday.  This event is primarily to attract the attention of the trade media; it is not consumer oriented. We want the trade to know that grain foods are alive and well! Additionally, coverage of the closing bell ceremony will be available online (live and archived).  Please find the links below.  We have permission to post the archive link on our member websites if you are interested.

Live Link: http://mfile.akamai.com/7096/live/reflector:57489.asx?bkup=59611&prop=n

** Please note that the live link will not become active until approx. 3:55 p.m.

 Archive Link: http://mfile.akamai.com/7096/wmv/nyse.download.akamai.com/7096/Cbell-01102008.asx

** Please note that the archive link will not become active until approx. 2 hrs after the event.   Once active, it will be available for 2 years.

11-29-07 - Recent carbohydrate studies - There was a lot of media coverage earlier this week surrounding two new studies published in the Nov. Archives of Internal Medicine.  The authors of both studies suggest that diets comprised of high GI foods, such as refined carbohydrates, lead to increased risk for type 2 diabetes.   

One study looked at the diets of African American women in the US.  After eight years, the authors concluded that those women who ate foods with a high Glycemic Load had a higher risk for diabetes.  However, that same study demonstrated that women who ate more cereal fiber (such as high fiber cereal or whole grain bread) had a reduced risk of developing the disease.  The conclusion echoed what Dr. Gaesser found in his research:  incorporating cereal fibers into one’s diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.   

The second study examined Chinese women over approximately five years.  The authors of that study also concluded that women who consumed more carbohydrates overall were more likely to develop diabetes.  However, the amount of rice consumed was 300 grams or more per day – significantly more than Americans would eat in a single day.   

Because white bread is so frequently lumped into the category of refined carbohydrates from a media standpoint, we activated our rapid response program and developed a statement with the help of our clinical advisory board chair, Dr. Glenn Gaesser (see below).  The statement was distributed by Mullen to their national database of health writers and reporters today.  It was signed by the Mullen account person who is the contact with that particular outlet. 

GFF Response Statement to recent carbohydrate studies

Contact Judi Adams, GFF President for any questions. The GFF will continue to update its members on any new developments or research studies.

Holiday Eating Tips from the GFF:  Traditional Holiday, Non-traditional Eating - Tips to Make Traditional Foods Healthier During the Holidays  

Thanksgiving is a great holiday for the baking industry, check out this fun holiday trivia:

What is America’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

• Stuffing is the favorite!
• Stuffing was picked as favorite side-dish overall (29%), followed by mashed potatoes (24%), sweet potatoes (19%), cranberry sauce (10%), dinner rolls (6%) and finally, squash (2%)

What do people use as the base for their stuffing when they make it from sctratch?

• More than half (56%) indicated that someone in their family makes stuffing from scratch every year.
• When people use bread as the base for their stuffing, white bread was chosen as the best option (18%).

November 2007 - Did you know?  November is National Bread Month! 

Check out these "Bread Facts from Around the World"

September 2007 - NEW Anti-Carb Book on the Shelves September 25th.

The Grain Foods Foundation’s rapid response mechanism is working hard for you on an ongoing basis.  They recently learned about a new book that will be September 25.  Entitled, Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease, it is written by New York Times journalist Gary Taubes.  You probably remember Taubes —in  July 2002 he wrote a very inflammatory anti-carb article in the New York Times Magazine “What if it’s all been a big fat lie?”

As a preemptive strike, GFF developed a response (and scientifically-based perspective) that was sent to their database of health writers and reporters.  Members of our clinical advisory board, Drs. Glenn Gaesser and Jim Hill, are prepared to speak to the media on our behalf.  This is a great example of GFF's offensive strategy in action.  

Click here for GFF's media response to Gary Taubes' book

Click here for an article in Bakery Newsletter - "From the Bakery Pipeline" Re: the Biggest Culprit for Triggering the Low-carb Craze

Just when  we thought the low-carb myth was dying out, this new book could rekindle the flames.

GFF September Progress Report

Check out GFF's current progress report. I think you will find the new book by Gary Taubes of special interest. He created havoc in 2002 with his anti-carb article in the NY Times Magazine, "What if it's all been a big fat lie?"   Taubes conducted a recent interview which can be accessed at: http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=7543 . I think you will find it very concerning.

Also please note the March of Dimes folic acid "seal of approval" which is in development for our members' use on packaging. The report also welcomes two new members: Aramark and Manildra Group USA.

Please keep in mind that this month starts our 4th Year program and if you haven't sent in your pledge forms yet, please do ASAP so you stay on our mailing list and website.

Thanks - Judi Adams, GFF President

August 23, 2007 - Today we officially launched GFF’s fall campaign with a satellite media tour in New York City featuring Food Network’s Robin Miller. She conducted sixteen interviews with radio and television stations across the country, and met with editors from American Baby, Family Circle and Fitness.

Click here to link to her interview with the “Daily Buzz,” a nationally syndicated morning program that reaches 2,243,537 viewers. The advertising value for this segment is $267,085, so it was a great ROI. Please take a few minutes to watch this clip.

"Beat the Snack Attack by Making the Right Choices" - Tips to Smart Snacking from GFF

GFF's fiscal year is starting Sept. 1 and it is rolling out its "Smart Snacking" campaign and contest (you will hear more about the contest SOON).   Smart snacking ideas are great this time of year for kids heading back to school or adults coming off their summer schedules -- OR for that Labor Day road trip.  Click on the link above for snack recipes developed by our newest celebrity chef, Robin Miller, of the Food Network. Hope you and your employees enjoy them.

“It’s Not a Sandwich without the BREAD - Don’t Leave Home Without It!” -

August is National Sandwich Month!  Click here for the June edition of the Grain Foods Foundation’s newsletter written by Gayle Veum, a registered dietitian and newest part-time member of the GFF staff.  

FACT: To this day, Americans still love their sandwiches!  According to a survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation and conducted by Harris Interactive®, nearly three-quarters (72%) of U.S. adults indicated they eat sandwiches at least once a week due to their convenience (82%) and taste (53%).  In fact, one-third (33%) of Americans do not leave home without a sandwich -- they even take sandwiches along with them when they travel.  In October 2006, the NPD Group reported the most popular dinner entrée at home is sandwiches.

GFF Year III Update - GFF Judi Adams gives GFF report at the Joint ABA-ATBI Board of Directors Meeting held June 13, 2007 in Washington, D.C. 

Click here to view presentation.

Click here to see Bulletin article about Ms. Adams' presentation.

Cut Unwanted Calories Out of Your Picnic – Not the Fun! Click here for fun tips for July 4 fare. Article by Kim Gorman, MS, RD, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

May is National BBQ Month!  Click here for Tips for a Health Barbeque This Season - Incorporating ALL Food Groups Is Important - A Message from GFF President Judi Adams, MS, RD

GFF September 2007 Progress Report
Highlights of report: the March of Dimes folic acid "seal of approval" is in development for our members' use on packagingand GFF welcomes two new members: Aramark and Manildra Group USA.