YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE
Five wheat myths busted
By Gene Hall
Lies, lies and more lies. Wheat has received undue attention recently in the popular press and social media.
The Whole Grains Council helped me bust some myths. For example:
- U.S. wheat is genetically modified. Rubbish. In fact, there is no genetically modified wheat commercially available.
- Wheat makes Americans fat. Balderdash. Eating too much of anything and lack of exercise make you fat. Wheat plays no special role in putting on pounds.
- Americans eat more wheat than ever before. Malarkey. U.S. wheat consumption is about half of what it was in the 1870s.
- Wheat is drenched in pesticides before harvesting. Baloney. Less than 2 percent of the crop is sprayed with herbicide about a week before harvest to help the wheat dry quickly.
- Modern wheat contains more gluten. Poppycock. A USDA research scientist found gluten content in wheat has not increased in the last two centuries.
Should we eat more whole grains? Yes. Should we cut down on processed foods? Probably. Sort through the rubbish and you eventually find kernels of truth.
The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.
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