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06-15-2007, 12:30 AM
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Kellogg Pops More Nutrition Into Kid Foods Pop-Tarts, Cereals Sold To Kids To Meet Standards
Posted: 10:55 am CDT June 14, 2007
Washington -- Younger children could be seeing less of colorful Toucan Sam if his Froot Loops cereal doesn't become more healthy.
Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker with brands like Apple Jacks and Frosted Flakes, has agreed to raise the nutritional value of the cereals and snacks it markets to kids. The change comes after parents and advocacy groups worried about child obesity threatened a lawsuit.
Brands that fall outside of certain standards -- Froot Loops and Pop-Tarts toaster pastry are two examples -- will either be reformulated or dropped from advertising that reaches audiences at least half of whom are under age 12, company officials said.
David Mackay, Kellogg's CEO, said in a statement Thursday that 27 percent of Kellogg's U.S. advertising spending is directed to children under 12. He said the company was "taking these steps to address increasing concerns about marketing to children and further strengthen our commitment to responsible marketing."
The company also plans to make immediate changes to its Web sites for children, such as adding automatic screen time limits and adding healthy lifestyle and nutrition information.
Battle Creek-based Kellogg also is adding nutritional information to the front of its cereal boxes in North America. The summary "Guidline Daily Amounts" is designed to provide a snapshot of how the food fits into a proper diet in addition to the side-panel nutrition label.
The new standards require that a single serving of the products contains no more than 200 calories; no trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat; no more than 230 milligrams of sodium, except for Eggo frozen waffles; and no more than 12 grams of sugar, not counting sugar from fruit, dairy and vegetables.
One-third of the cereals Kellogg markets to children in the U.S. fall outside those standards, said Mark Baynes, Kellogg's chief marketing officer. Most cereals fall inside the calorie guideline, he said, but meeting the sugar and sodium standards could be the most challenging.
"By committing to these nutrition standards and marketing reforms, Kellogg has vaulted over the rest of the food industry," said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The advocacy group had joined with others in 2006 to seek legal action against Kellogg.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Kellogg Pops More Nutrition Into Kid Foods Pop-Tarts, Cereals Sold To Kids To Meet Standards
Posted: 10:55 am CDT June 14, 2007
Washington -- Younger children could be seeing less of colorful Toucan Sam if his Froot Loops cereal doesn't become more healthy.
Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker with brands like Apple Jacks and Frosted Flakes, has agreed to raise the nutritional value of the cereals and snacks it markets to kids. The change comes after parents and advocacy groups worried about child obesity threatened a lawsuit.
Brands that fall outside of certain standards -- Froot Loops and Pop-Tarts toaster pastry are two examples -- will either be reformulated or dropped from advertising that reaches audiences at least half of whom are under age 12, company officials said.
David Mackay, Kellogg's CEO, said in a statement Thursday that 27 percent of Kellogg's U.S. advertising spending is directed to children under 12. He said the company was "taking these steps to address increasing concerns about marketing to children and further strengthen our commitment to responsible marketing."
The company also plans to make immediate changes to its Web sites for children, such as adding automatic screen time limits and adding healthy lifestyle and nutrition information.
Battle Creek-based Kellogg also is adding nutritional information to the front of its cereal boxes in North America. The summary "Guidline Daily Amounts" is designed to provide a snapshot of how the food fits into a proper diet in addition to the side-panel nutrition label.
The new standards require that a single serving of the products contains no more than 200 calories; no trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat; no more than 230 milligrams of sodium, except for Eggo frozen waffles; and no more than 12 grams of sugar, not counting sugar from fruit, dairy and vegetables.
One-third of the cereals Kellogg markets to children in the U.S. fall outside those standards, said Mark Baynes, Kellogg's chief marketing officer. Most cereals fall inside the calorie guideline, he said, but meeting the sugar and sodium standards could be the most challenging.
"By committing to these nutrition standards and marketing reforms, Kellogg has vaulted over the rest of the food industry," said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The advocacy group had joined with others in 2006 to seek legal action against Kellogg.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.