Low-carb diet craze hurts flour consumption
Angela Hall
Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post


Friday, February 20, 2004

REGINA -- Forget burgers without the buns, low-carb wraps and high protein shakes. Nearly 100 farmers at a Canadian Wheat Board information meeting in Weyburn this week enjoyed platefuls of pasta topped off with a side of bread.

It's not that the low-carbohydrate diet craze sweeping North America is lost on this crowd of wheat producers, but they have more concerns about bottom lines than waistlines.

Consumption of flour has declined by about five kilograms (11 pounds) per capita in the U.S. in the last two years, according to the wheat board, and it's a statistic with potential to put a squeeze on wheat production.

While similar declines in consumption haven't yet been recorded in Canada, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has joined an industry effort led by the Baking Association of Canada to promote the nutritional value of grain-based foods.

Jim Thompson, the CWB's senior merchandiser for North America, told producers that U.S. flour consumption dropped to about 62 kilograms per person in 2002, compared with close to 70 kilograms in Canada, where consumption has been steady over the last few years. And U.S. consumption of the principle flour product -- bread -- dropped 1.2 per cent last year.

Thompson said diets stressing limited carbohydrates are the main culprit, with more and more products that can fit the diets becoming available in restaurants and grocery stores.

"Each one of those products is displacing flour, which is a wheat-based product," he said in an interview.

"The population seems intent on grabbing onto these low-carb diets and that's a direct effect to wheat production."

A generic campaign to promote benefits of products made from grain is still in the initial stages, but Thompson said he thinks it could have a big impact. The problem will be the limited amount of money in the wheat sector available for such a campaign.

"If you can turn (consumption) around by one pound, then two, then three, I think it will have a dramatic effect ultimately. The trick is catching on and doing that without spending oodles of money."

U.S. groups have already launched a program promoting grain products. In a press release last month, the North American Millers' Association lists 10 reasons why people should eat bread, stating that while grain foods have been around since 10,000 B.C., obesity has only been a U.S. health problem since the mid-1970s. "Grain foods aren't the problem. Lack of calorie counting and exercise is the problem," the association wrote.

Meanwhile, potato farmers in Prince Edward Island have said mountains of spuds are piling up in storage, in part due to the high-protein Atkins diet.

But some local bakeries are predicting low-carb diets will pass in Canada without making much of a dent in business.

Waverly Stechyshyn, owner of Regina's Northgate Bakery for 35 years, said people are getting more health conscious and switching to whole wheat but not shying away from bread altogether.

"It seems like a fad," said Stechyshyn. "People will try this and try that. I don't think there's a concern."

"I don't think it's going to last for a long time -- not even for a short time," agreed Cal Howell at Maple Leaf Bakery.

All I can think when I read this is: "You can run, but you can't hide."

«. In a press release last month, the North American Millers' Association lists 10 reasons why people should eat bread, stating that while grain foods have been around since 10,000 B.C., obesity has only been a U.S. health problem since the mid-1970s. "Grain foods aren't the problem. Lack of calorie counting and exercise is the problem," the association wrote.»

They always keep trotting out that calorie and exercise BS, but they shot themselves in the foot here.
10 000 BC is an insignifiant period of time in human history, and we are not built to handle grain, just like the pigs, steers or ducks that are fatten on corn...

What irks me is that they truly couldn't care less about the health of the population, they just want to sell more what and flour...
This quote illustrates this:«but they have more concerns about bottom lines than waistlines.»

«"It seems like a fad," said Stechyshyn. "People will try this and try that. I don't think there's a concern."

"I don't think it's going to last for a long time -- not even for a short time," agreed Cal Howell at Maple Leaf Bakery.»

I think they're in for a nasty surprise...

Ha. They've gotten a free ride all this time - eventually, you have to pay the piper.

It kills me that they go on about the losses to the wheat folks, but don't mention what we replaced it with. What about the increased sales of cauliflower and other veggies? All that money has to be going *somewhere*...

I live in an ag market area and lately the local radio station has been playing an ad for a company associated with the potato industry. The people in the ad discuss how Atkins is just a fad and the potato farmers shouldn't worry. However, the part that really threw me was when the "announcer" in the ad ends by saying "This is Soandso signing off. And remeber to always super-size."

You MIGHT be able to argue the benefits of eating potatos but I don't think ANYONE could argue that eating deep-fried transfat-laden anything is even remotely good for you. Basically he was saying "I don't give a rip if you die of a heart attack - just do it with our product".

Hmmm, and I wonder what telegraph operators were put out of work when the telephone was invented?

And do you think Kodak is losing business now that digital cameras are everywhere?

Times change and if you don't diversify, you'll go under. Anyone who thinks that binging on carbs isn't on it's way out is just plain ignorant.