Over the past several years, in order to fight the growing obesity problem, Americans have turned increasingly to foods that are advertised as “healthy.” During that same time, terms like “multi grain,” “whole grain,” and “whole wheat” have taken center stage, as food companies look to attract more and more consumers to their products. In the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, recommended the following: “Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. Increase whole-grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains”—an endorsement which only heightened the public interest in foods containing these ingredients.

Yet among consumers, and even some industry insiders, there remains consternation about what “multi grain,” “whole grain,” and “whole wheat” actually mean. In a recent commentary, Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, pointed out that despite their name, Eggo Nutrigrain Whole Wheat Waffles are composed primarily of water and white flour, effectively using labels advertising “whole grain” and “whole wheat” to obscure what the final product really consists of.

Another article, in which Jacobson also appears, highlights what many see as a key problem underlying the advertising: the lack of a legal definition of what constitutes a whole grain. Some aspects of how a food product’s ingredients may be factually advertised are already regulated by the Code of Federal Regulations, including percentage labeling, like “100% whole wheat” (21 CFR § 102.5(b)), and nutrient content, like “10 grams of whole grains” (21 CFR § 101.13(i)(3)). In addition, requirements for certain types of flours are specified by 21 CFR § 137. Nobody, however (not even the Food and Drug Administration, who has only offered a “guidance,” and not an official position), seems to know exactly how “whole grain” should itself be defined. This uncertainty has led Jacobson and his colleagues at the Center for Science in the Public Interest to petition the FDA to better regulate the use of the term “whole grain” in advertising food. In the meantime, the best option for the healthy consumer is to do things the old-fashioned way: take some time and check the ingredients.