The health authorities are getting tougher on misleading food label claims. Starting next year, products marketed as "whole-grain" foods will have to contain at least 50 percent of such ingredients, and violations may entail a penalty of up to 200,000 NT dollars.

Consumers would prefer products, such as cookies, bread, noodles featuring whole wheat or whole grain.

But no one knows if the product content actually matches the name.

Therefore, starting next year, only products that contain grain more than half of the whole content can be called "whole grain."

According to Department of Health, the so-called whole grain includes flour, brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, rye and more.

But since they are hard to be preserved, some bakeries simply add wheat bran in white flour to control the cost.

The products are featured as whole wheat or whole grain ones, a fraud cheating consumers.

Dietitians remind us that whole grain products are healthy but they are not for everyone.

Those with poor kidney conditions, diabetes or stomach problems should consult doctors or nutritionists.

Department of Health says updates of the regulation relate to raw material import and labelling issues, so the new regulation will be made public next year and be implemented by the end of next year.

Violators will be subject to a fine ranging from 40,000 to 200,000 NTD.

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