NORTHFIELD, Ill. — As part of its overall health and wellness push, Kraft Foods plans to boost the whole grain content in its venerable Nabisco cracker brands, more than doubling the amount of whole grain currently used across the product portfolio.

As part of its overall health and wellness push, Kraft Foods plans to boost the whole grain content in its venerable Nabisco cracker brands, more than doubling the amount of whole grain currently used across the product portfolio.

Kraft said Monday that over the next three years, such brands as Wheat Thins, Honey Maid, Premium and Ritz will include more whole grain. And by 2013, the company expects Nabisco crackers to contribute more than 9 billion servings of whole grain to American diets each year.

"Nine out of 10 Americans eat less than the recommended daily amount of whole grains," commented Rhonda Jordan, president of global health and wellness for Kraft. "And a growing number of consumers are trying to increase their consumption of whole grains. By significantly increasing the amount of whole grain in our crackers, we’re giving them an easy, delicious way to get the whole grain they need in the foods they already enjoy."

Kraft noted that it began to transform its cracker portfolio in August 2009 when it increased the whole grain content of Original and Reduced-Fat Wheat Thins from 5g to 11g per 31g serving.

In continuing that effort, the company plans to increase whole grain in more than 100 products over the next three years, including doubling the amount of whole grain in Original Wheat Thins from 11g to 22g per serving; more than tripling the amount in Wheat Thins Toasted Chips from 5g to 17g per serving; quadrupling the amount in Honey Maid Original Graham Crackers from 5g to 20g per serving; and adding whole grain to Premium and Ritz crackers.

With those improvements, some products — including Original Wheat Thins and Honey Maid Original Graham Crackers — will be made with 100% whole grain, according to Kraft

Kraft said it has spent four years and invested significant resources in its flour milling technology, recipe development and testing to find ways to add more whole grain to its popular cracker brands. The company will be using whole grain wheat flour to increase the whole grain content of these products.  

The announcement is a continuation of Kraft’s strategy to promote health and wellness. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to reduce sodium by an average of 10% across its North American portfolio of products, including crackers. And over the past five years, Kraft Foods has reformulated about one in four products in the United States to make them better for consumers.

"We’re accelerating our efforts in health and wellness because it’s good for consumers and good for business," stated Jordan. "Whether it’s adding more whole grain, reducing sodium or removing calories from our products, we’re making the foods consumers love even better."