U.S. consumer acceptance of whole grains, local grains, and alternative grain networks: a scoping review

Whole grains, including pseudocereals, provide a dual benefit: they support human health and disease prevention and strengthen agronomic and ecosystem functions through crop rotations. Despite numerous epidemiological and intervention studies indicating their health promotion and disease prevention benefits, however, only one percent of U.S. children and eight percent of U.S. adults meet actual whole grain intake recommendations. Recently, alternative grain networks as a type of grain system are emerging in the U.S., with a vision of offering local grain products to consumers not only for their benefit but also for that of the entire grain value chain.

The aim of this scoping review is to map existing literature on U.S. consumer acceptance of whole grains, local grains, and alternative grain networks, define knowledge gaps, and make recommendations for future research. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we systematically screened 14,155 articles, 32 of which met our inclusion criteria.

The included studies were methodologically heterogeneous, spanning randomized control trials, surveys, observational studies, and qualitative methodologies. The studies examined whole grains, bread, organic grain products, local grain products, and specific grain products. Due to most of the included studies' focus on whole grains, the main focus of the scoping review is on whole grains. Collectively, the studies most frequently reported on the following key factors impacting consumer acceptance of whole grains: taste, price, knowledge, familiarity, attitude, and income/food insecurity. Many of the identified barriers and drivers to whole grain intake were similar to those in most other countries. Three articles examined consumer acceptance of alternative grain networks and local grain products. These articles, all using a qualitative, case study methodology, indicated that a select segment of consumers are interested in these systems and products, without quantitative measurement of consumer acceptance. The results of this scoping review suggest that educational campaigns such as those focused on whole grain identification, whole and local grain health and environmental benefits, preparation techniques and recipes, community cooking classes and sampling events, and policy and research advances along the grain supply chain could aid in promoting consumer acceptance of whole grains, local grains, and alternative grain networks.