The Whole Grains Council

What The Whole Grains Council does

The Whole Grains Council, formally Oldways Whole Grains Council, is a Boston-based non-profit educational organization operating under the Oldways parent foundation. Its core offering is the Whole Grain Stamp, a consumer-facing certification mark found on food packaging that helps shoppers identify products meeting whole grain criteria, and which the Council reports is trusted by 83% of consumers for accuracy. The organization also publishes an A-to-Z encyclopedia of grains, a recipe library, and a health studies database, and operates the Whole Grains 101 educational curriculum.

The Council generates revenue through three streams: recurring membership fees from food manufacturers, restaurants, and industry partners who join to access stamp certification and promotional support; ticket revenue from its annual conference and webinar series; and sales of promotional materials including cookbooks and e-books. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, reaching consumers through educational content, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest), an email newsletter, webinars, and culinary travel tours to destinations including Sicily, Thailand, Switzerland, Greece, Costa Rica, and Turkey. It targets businesses through direct membership sales, a foodservice directory, and member working groups such as the Sprouted Grains Working Group and Foodservice Advisory Committee.

The organization operates internationally through affiliate partnerships in Denmark (The Danish Wholegrain Campaign, 2009), the UK (Wholegrain Goodness/HGCA, 2004), China (Center for Public Nutrition and Development of China), and Canada (Healthy Grains Institute, 2012), and participates in the Europe-wide HealthGrain Forum. Senior leadership includes Oldways President Sara Baer-Sinnott and Director of Nutrition Kelly LeBlanc. The Council has expanded beyond pure whole grain education into Heritage Diet Programs covering African, Latin American, and Mediterranean traditions, representing a deliberate broadening of its editorial and program surface area.

Name

The Whole Grains Council

Legal name

Oldways Whole Grains Council

Website

https://wholegrainscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oldways Whole Grains Council is a Boston-based non-profit that runs the Whole Grain Stamp certification program, publishes whole grain education and recipes, and serves food manufacturers, restaurants, dietitians, and consumers through membership, conferences, and international affiliate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutritional Education and Certification

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Official Grain Grading (Standards-Based) (AFAOAMAA)

Keywords

• Whole grain certification
• Nutrition education programs
• Food labeling advocacy
• Grain industry membership
• Dietary health initiative

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The Council operates on membership fees from food manufacturers, restaurants, and other industry partners who join to access the Whole Grain Stamp program and promotional support.
2. Conference Revenue: Annual conference generates revenue through attendee registration fees. The conference provides educational content and networking opportunities for industry professionals.
3. Promotional Materials: Sale of whole grain promotional items and resources including cookbooks, e-books, and educational materials.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Whole Grains Council is a non-profit educational organization that administers the Whole Grain Stamp certification program—a consumer-facing label trusted by 83% of consumers to identify authentic whole grain foods on retail packaging. It provides whole grain educational content (recipes, an A-to-Z grain encyclopedia, health studies, and the Whole Grains 101 curriculum) and serves food manufacturers, restaurants, and media through paid membership programs, an annual conference, webinars, and culinary tours.

Product overview

The Whole Grains Council is a content and education-focused organization offering a suite of consumer-facing products centered around promoting whole grain consumption. The core offerings include the Whole Grain Stamp (a consumer certification program), a comprehensive Recipes Collection, educational content (Whole Grains 101), and product finding tools. Additional offerings include the Blog/Newsroom for health research dissemination, Conferences and Webinars for professional education, Grain of the Month Calendar for grain education, Culinary Tours for experiential learning, Guess the Grains Quiz for interactive education, and Heritage Diet Programs covering African, Latin American, and Mediterranean culinary traditions. The organization does not offer a software platform but rather provides educational resources, certification programs, and community engagement tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whole Grain Stamp: A certification stamp program that helps consumers identify products containing significant amounts of whole grains.

Products and services

• Whole Grain Stamp A consumer-facing certification and labeling program that helps shoppers identify authentic whole grain foods on grocery packaging. Available in three stamp varieties and trusted by 83% of consumers to accurately state a product's whole grain content. Used by member food manufacturers on certified products.
• WGC Membership Program Paid membership for food manufacturers, restaurants, and industry partners that grants access to the Whole Grain Stamp, promotional support, foodservice directory listing, working groups, and member resources. Membership is the organization's primary revenue stream.
• Annual Whole Grains Conference Ticketed annual conference bringing together industry professionals, dietitians, manufacturers, and media for presentations, workshops, and networking around whole grains and heritage diets.
• Recipes Collection A library of hundreds of whole grain recipes including cooking guides, 'Watch & Learn' videos, and foodservice recipes covering diverse cuisines and preparation methods. Available to consumers and foodservice operators.
• Whole Grains 101 Educational curriculum covering what whole grains are, the difference from refined grains, an A-to-Z encyclopedia of grains, gluten-free options, health benefits, and how to identify whole grain products.
• Find Whole Grains Product finder tool that helps consumers locate stamped products, find whole grain options when eating away from home, mail order sources, wholesale ingredients, foodservice support, and local grain sources.
• Culinary Tours Food-focused travel programs to destinations including Switzerland, Sicily, Greece, Thailand, Turkey, and Costa Rica, featuring cooking classes, market visits, and cultural experiences promoting heritage diets and whole grains.
• Educational Webinars Webinars featuring nutrition experts discussing whole grain topics such as plant-based eating, diabetes prevention, and heritage diets, often offering CPEU credits for dietitians.
• Grain of the Month Calendar Monthly educational feature highlighting specific whole grains with information about their origins, nutrition, and preparation, such as sorghum in June and quinoa in March.
• Heritage Diet Programs Cultural diet education programs including African Heritage, Latin American Heritage, and Mediterranean Diet, with cooking classes and nutrition curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% consumer trust in the Whole Grain Stamp accuracy

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Healthy Grains InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2012Canadian institute launched in November 2012 to inform and enhance Canadians' knowledge of health benefits of grains. Guided by an independent Scientific Advisory Council of plant science and nutritional experts from across North America.
• HealthGrain ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2010Europe-wide association founded in May 2010 as follow-up to the EU 6th Framework HEALTHGRAIN Project. Mission to promote science-based concepts that unlock the health-promoting potential in the entire grain-production food chain.
• The Danish Wholegrain CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Denmark's national whole grain promotion campaign. In 2009, when the campaign started, only 6% of Danes were eating the 75g of whole grains per day recommended by Danish health authorities. Through consumer education and manufacturer support, they work to increase accessibility of wholegrain products and awareness of health benefits.
• Wholegrain Goodness / HGCAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004UK campaign launched by HGCA in 2004 to raise awareness of health benefits and versatility of wholegrains. Features recipes, nutritional information, and quarterly e-newsletter with industry updates and health news.
• The Center for Public Nutrition and Development of China (PNDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChinese government institution belonging to the Academy of Microeconomic Research of the National Development and Reform Commission. Works to increase knowledge of public nutrition and health, raise awareness among officials and public, push for nutrition intervention programs, and bridge nutrition industry with government.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• International Food Information Council (IFIC): US-based non-profit that communicates food science and nutrition information to consumers, dietitians, and media. Partial overlap with WGC's media and consumer education mission but broader food category coverage rather than grain-specialized.

Others

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Largest US-based professional nutrition organization. Adjacent rather than competitive — provides credentialing, CPEU credits, and consumer-facing content overlapping with WGC's dietitian outreach and educational webinars.
• Oldways: The Council's parent non-profit that operates adjacent heritage diet programs (Mediterranean, African Heritage, Latin American Heritage). While not a competitor, it is the most operationally integrated peer given shared staff, infrastructure, and curriculum offerings.
• Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health (USDA-affiliated programs): US government dietary guidance including MyPlate and Dietary Guidelines influence whole grain recommendations. Government-affiliated rather than competing commercially, but sets the regulatory and messaging backdrop the Council must align with.

Direct peers

• HealthGrain Forum: Europe-wide association founded in 2010 as a follow-up to the EU HEALTHGRAIN Project, explicitly listed as a WGC partner. It promotes science-based whole grain concepts across the entire grain-production chain, making it the closest continental counterpart.
• Grain Foods Foundation: US-based non-profit that serves as the consumer education and advocacy arm for grain-based foods, mirroring the WGC's mission around grains. Directly comparable in business model (membership dues, consumer education, RD/dietitian outreach) and customer base (grain product manufacturers).
• Healthy Grains Institute: Canadian institute launched in November 2012 and a stated WGC affiliate. Guided by an independent Scientific Advisory Council, it informs Canadian consumers about grains — structurally identical to the WGC's model.
• The Danish Wholegrain Campaign: Denmark's national whole grain promotion campaign and an explicit WGC affiliate since 2009. Operates the same public-private partnership model combining consumer education with manufacturer engagement on a national scale.
• Wholegrain Goodness (HGCA): UK whole grain awareness campaign launched in 2004 by HGCA and listed as a WGC affiliate. Mirrors WGC's combination of recipes, nutritional information, and quarterly e-newsletter outreach to industry.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association (Heart Check Mark): Operates the Heart Check food certification program, a much larger-scale consumer-facing certification mark with similar brand-trust economics. Comparable as an incumbent competitor for manufacturer certification budgets and consumer attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OldwaysPT
• Facebookfacebook.com/OldwaysPT
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldways_pt
• Pinterestpinterest.com/oldways
• TikToktiktok.com/@oldways_pt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oldways-whole-grains-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Whole Grains Council