Nabisco Embarks on Whole Grain Initiative

Kraft Foods will more than double the amount of whole grain across its Nabisco cracker brands, including Wheat Thins, Honey Maid, Premium and Ritz.

Most Americans only get about one serving (16g) of whole grain a day, compared with the recommended minimum three servings (at least 48g) per day, which means they could be missing the important nutrition benefits that whole grain offers.

Over the next three years, Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods will more than double the amount of whole grain across its Nabisco cracker brands, including Wheat Thins, Honey Maid, Premium and Ritz. By 2013, the company expects Nabisco crackers will contribute more than 9 billion servings of whole grain to American diets each year.

Kraft Foods has spent four years and invested significant resources in its flour milling technology, recipe development and testing to find ways to add more whole grain to its popular cracker brands. The company will be using whole grain wheat flour, milled using the entire wheat kernel (bran, endosperm and germ), to increase the whole grain content of these products.

"It was critical for us to get the recipe right to deliver the benefits of whole grain without sacrificing the taste consumers expect from their favorite crackers," said Carlos Abrams Rivera, vice president for Nabisco crackers. "Just adding whole grain can change a product's flavor and, in the case of crackers, can make them denser and grittier. But the combination of the right recipe and ingredients can help us maintain delicious taste and texture while adding significant levels of whole grain."

Company Information

Website: www.kraftfoods.com