Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to introduce a quantitative recommendation for the daily intake of whole grains.

Public Health England has no plans to recommend government introduces a quantitative recommendation for the daily intake of wholegrains.

This is because there is no agreed definition for the term ‘wholegrain’. Therefore, government dietary guidelines do not give specific quantitative advice for wholegrain intake.

There are however specific government recommendations for dietary fibre based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, as set out in its Carbohydrates and Health report, which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report.

Fibre is found in a range of foods and is not exclusive to wholegrain foods. Government dietary advice, as depicted by the Eatwell Guide, is that we should choose wholegrain or higher fibre versions of starchy carbohydrates wherever possible.