Cardiovascular disease affects around 62 million people in the EU. And while tackling it is anything but simple, one part of the answer may already be sitting on our breakfast tables: whole grains.
Decades of scientific research have associated regular whole grain consumption with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Yet despite these well-established benefits, most Europeans still aren’t eating enough.
Research suggests that eating 50 grams of whole grains a day is associated with significant health benefits. Yet according to European Commission data, average consumption falls well below that level in 16 of the EU’s 27 member states.
It's a striking gap between what we know about healthy eating and what we actually put on our plates.
“Whole grains have an important role to play in a healthy, balanced diet,” says Corinne Emonet, Regional Vice President at Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW), the joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills that produces Nestlé Breakfast Cereals. “The challenge is to make them an easy, appealing choice for more people, every day.”
A timely opportunity for action
International Whole Grain Day is celebrated annually on 19 November. This year, it puts cardiovascular prevention at the centre of the discussion. Under the theme “Whole Grains at the Heart of Prevention,” it highlights how increasing whole grain consumption could contribute to healthier diets and better heart health.
The theme is particularly relevant to the EU’s efforts to tackle cardiovascular disease. In December 2025, the European Commission adopted the EU Safe Hearts Plan, a comprehensive strategy to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment across member states.
Diet is one part of that picture. And with whole grains offering a relatively simple way to improve the nutritional quality of everyday meals, encouraging greater consumption could support the Plan's prevention goals.
Ahead of International Whole Grain Day, experts, policymakers and industry representatives will gather at the European Parliament in Brussels on 17 November to identify practical policies and cross-sector solutions to increase whole grain consumption. The event will also renew the call for action launched on International Whole Grain Day 2025, encouraging more governments to take concrete steps.
A roadmap for closing the gap
The good news is that governments don't have to start from scratch.
The 2025 Whole Grain Declaration of Acts, supported by the Whole Grain Initiative and its partners, sets out four concrete areas where policy can make a difference.
It calls for clearer national dietary guidelines that define and promote whole grain consumption, along with labelling policies that help consumers recognise whole grain foods and encourage manufacturers to improve their products.
It also advocates public-private partnerships to raise awareness and increase access, and greater inclusion of whole grains in public food procurement, particularly school meals. Helping children develop healthier eating habits early in life can lay the foundation for better nutrition in adulthood.
There are already examples of what can be achieved. Denmark and Sweden have developed public-private partnerships to promote whole grain consumption, while the United States has incorporated whole grain requirements into school meals and several African countries have introduced whole grain initiatives in school meal programmes. In Asia, Singapore combines national dietary recommendations with its Healthier Choice Symbol, while China's National Whole Grain Action Plan 2024–2035 aims to substantially increase consumption.
These examples demonstrate that progress is possible. Another important step came in June 2026, with the publication of a new international ISO standard establishing common definitions and technical criteria for whole grains and labelling. The challenge now is to extend that progress to more countries and make whole grain consumption a priority within national nutrition and public-health strategies.
What industry can bring to the table
Governments have an important role to play, but food manufacturers can also help close the whole grain gap by improving the products people already eat.
CPW has worked to improve the nutritional profile of its breakfast cereals through product development and reformulation. Today, 99% of CPW products are a source of fibre, with many qualifying as high in fibre.
"For more than 20 years, we have steadily increased whole grain across our portfolio while protecting the taste consumers love," says Emonet. "Today, whole grain is the number one ingredient in 90% of our breakfast cereal recipes, and 99% of those for children and teenagers. That is tangible progress, and we want to go further."
Nesquik Cereal is one example of this long-term work. Its whole grain content has increased from 24% to 53%, meaning more than half of the cereal is now made of whole grains.
But CPW’s contribution extends beyond its own products.
Since 2017, the company has participated in the Whole Grain Initiative, working with other organisations to promote shared definitions, supportive public policies and consumer education. CPW also contributes to industry collaboration through associations such as CEEREAL and FoodDrinkEurope, which have developed technical resources to help manufacturers increase whole grain content in foods.
The wider industry is also making measurable progress. According to CEEREAL, the European association representing the breakfast cereal and oat milling industry, between 2015 and 2025, the sales-weighted average whole grain content sold by its members increased by almost 23%, while fibre content rose by 21%. For children’s cereals, the increases were even greater, at 47% for whole grain and 84% for fibre.
“Progress depends on bringing together the experience and expertise of everyone involved,” says Emonet. “Manufacturers can improve their products, but we also need clear policies, consumer education and partnerships that help make whole grains more accessible.”
Turning commitments into action
2025 Declaration of Acts into concrete policy measures. The Whole Grain Initiative stands ready to provide technical guidance and support to governments and other stakeholders looking to put its recommendations into practice.
Closing the whole grain gap will take time. But with cardiovascular prevention high on the public-health agenda, the opportunity is clear: turn the evidence into practical policies, build on what is already working and help make whole grains an everyday choice for more people.
Promoted by Cereal Partners Worldwide
