# Why are there so few whole grain products?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723 "2004-11-19T21:25:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723/1 "2004-11-19T21:25:53Z")

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The base of the USDA Food Pyramid is Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta. The recommendation is that

“To get the fiber you need, choose several servings a day of foods made from whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereals.”

[http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic\_text/food/food-pyramid/main.htm](http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/food-pyramid/main.htm)

Why aren’t there more whole grain products on the market? Whole grain pasta is rare on supermarket shelves and costs about twice as much as regular pasta. Despite the presence of “seven grain” breads and several types of wheat bread, the labels on most of these do not say “whole wheat” or “whole grain”. White rice is plentiful; brown rice (which I assume is whole grain) is much less so.

Are whole grain products more expensive to produce? What is it about their taste or texture that allows the refined products to so thoroughly dominate whole grain products in the marketplace?

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723/2 "2004-11-19T21:38:03Z")

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Well, that wheat pasta is naaaasty - a lot of people, me included, don’t like the texture at all. I don’t know why you don’t see more of the other products, but that’s probably the reason for not seeing the gross wheat pasta.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723/3 "2004-11-19T21:50:04Z")

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The reason (well one of them) that we process the grain is that the whole grain is not as tasty. So this could be a big part of it.

Also corn is a grain, which I think would have to be considered whole.

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**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-whole-grain-products/275723/4 "2004-11-19T22:15:17Z")

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Among other things, whole grains generally contain more fatty acids and oils (and other complex chemicals like vitamins) than the predominantly starchy kernel used in refined grain products. These go rancid or spoil, decreasing shelf life and requiring more careful control of conditions by manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

For example, wheat germ should usually be refrigerated after opening, and used within months, or it will develop a rancid smell and flavor and breakdown products which can actually be unhealthy. Refined flour, which is almost entirely starch and a little protein, may not spoil for years at cool dry room conditons (which implies a modest exclusion of air, but not necessarily a seal).

In the case of some oil-rich grains, like flax seed, spoilage can be rapid and serious.