HEALTHGRAIN Press Releases
How to exploit the health-protective compounds of grains? What kind of role do cereal foods play in combating obesity or diabetes? Can whole grain products be tasty and attractive? Do consumers' attitudes differ in different countries? What attributes make cereal foods healthy?
These questions among others were set to the HEALTHGRAIN project of the European Union five years ago and the answers were presented at the Final HEALTHGRAIN Conference, 5-7 May 2010, in Lund, Sweden. Increase in intake of health-protective compounds and fractions of grains was the target of hundreds of scientists, plant breeders, millers, ingredient suppliers and experts in food industry in 17 European countries during the HEALTHGRAIN project. The final conference was entitled "Enhancing health benefits of cereal foods - results, perspectives and challenges", the meeting was attended by some 265 participants from around the globe. With the completion of the EU funded Integrated Project (2005-2010) on 31 May 2010, the HEALTHGRAIN Forum has been legally established as a non-for-profit association based on corporate memberships. The HEALTHGRAIN Forum will be the future platform to support the work for healthy cereals in the European diet. The aim is to continue the HEALTHGRAIN network to disseminate the many results arising from the work already done, and further to stimulate new research, facilitate international cooperation and bring together national research activities. The mission of the forum is to promote science-based concepts fully unlocking the health promoting potential in the entire grain food production chain to obtain healthy, convenient and appealing foods. The vision of the Forum is that grain-based foods assist consumers in health maintenance worldwide, help reduce health care costs and provide added value for companies in the production chain.
