The Whole Grain Stamp now appears on 5,000 products found on grocery shelves around the world, marking a 25 per cent increase since July 2010 when the stamp reached the 4,000-product mark, the Whole Grains Council said on March 29.

"The rapid growth of the Whole Grain Stamp signifies that whole grains really are the new norm for consumers, and the stamp makes it easy for them to find significant sources for whole grain in products," said Kara Berrini, program manager for Oldways and the Whole Grains Council, an Oldways program.

"We'd like to applaud the food industry, including all our Whole Grains Council members, as well as our scientific and culinary advisors, for helping move the science, palatability and availability of whole grains to a whole new level."

The Whole Grain Stamp now is found in 22 countries. About 10% of the W.G.C. members are based outside the United States. About 15% of the products using the stamp are sold outside the United States.