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Agriculture department officials address research cuts<\/p>\n
Members of the House of Commons agriculture committee from all parties expressed concern about the recently announced cuts and closures at federal research centres as they began an emergency study on the matter Feb. 10. <\/p>\n
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Things are trending differently in Canada, where mills produced 2.68 million tonnes of wheat flour in 2025, a 7.7 per cent increase over 2024 levels.<\/p>\n
The Canadian National Millers Association was contacted for this story but did not respond in time to meet publication deadlines.<\/p>\n
DTN lead analyst Rhett Montgomery thinks the slowdown in U.S. flour production is linked to a relatively recent fad.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou continue to see a dietary move away from wheat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gluten intolerance is on the rise and so are wheat-free diets, but he isn\u2019t ringing the alarm just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019d be overly concerned,\u201d Montgomery said during a recent DTN webinar.<\/p>\n
\u201cBread and wheat have been the cornerstone of food and human consumption for thousands of years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg Horstmeier, DTN\u2019s editor-in-chief, said what might be a cause for concern is the newly published Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which placed meat protein at the top of the pyramid and grains at the very bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a complete 180 from what we saw as a recommended food pyramid in the past,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have to see how that changes things, whether that alters this (gluten free) trend even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why it Matters: The dietary guidelines form the foundation of federal nutrition programs.<\/p>\n
Horstmeier just returned from the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association\u2019s annual convention.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were certainly happy with where meat is on that food pyramid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The same can\u2019t be said for the country\u2019s millers, who in a recent press release called the new pyramid a \u201cmajor shift\u201d in the government\u2019s approach to nutrition.<\/p>\n
The guidelines de-emphasize whole grain consumption, calling for two to four servings a day compared to six to 11 servings in the original food pyramid introduced in 1992.<\/p>\n
The guidelines also call for Americans to significantly reduce the consumption of highly processed refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, ready-to-eat or packaged breakfast meals, flour tortillas and crackers.<\/p>\n
The document refers to refined grains as \u201csugar in disguise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The North American Millers\u2019 Association (NAMA) said milled grains have been foundational to diets and health for centuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cNAMA urges the administration to look more closely at the beneficial role that fortified and enriched grains play in supplying critical nutrients like fiber, iron, and folate,\u201d the organization said in the press release.<\/p>\n
\u201cStigmatizing grain foods as highly processed undermines U.S. farmers and the high-quality, American-grown products they make possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
NAMA said it will be lobbying in support of all grain foods as the U.S. administration implements the new dietary guidelines in federal nutrition programs in the coming years.<\/p>\n
The National Association of Wheat Growers called the guidelines \u201cunintentionally confusing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWheat, wheat flour and foods made from wheat have been nutrient-rich, life-sustaining staples for tens of thousands of years and deserve clear, continued support as a central part of our nation\u2019s diet,\u201d NAWG said in a press release.<\/p>\n
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