Kellogg Pops More Nutrition Into Kid Foods Pop-Tarts, Cereals Sold To Kids To Meet

[Family Ties Forever!]

link

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.

[Nighthawk76]

I looooooove Apple Jacks.

[Zoneboy]

I remember watching some great cereal commercials but they didn't influence me at all because my parents always bought whatever was on sale each week. As a kid, I was more concerned with the prize in the box than anything else.

[Nighthawk76]

Originally Posted by Family Ties Forever!

That's a good cereal.

I have a feeling that when they make changes to the cereals they won't taste the same. I know it's important nutrition wise, but I hate that when food is changed it no longer tastes good, imo. Oh well.

You're right. Once they make the changes the cereal will probably not taste nearly as good.

[Zoneboy]

[dawsongirl]

Why aren't some parents getting the blame for childhood obesity? They buy this crap afterall. And they apparently don't send their kids outside to play. But nooooo...blame the cereal. I grew up eating that crap and drinking suger-filled Kool-Aid and I was skinny as a rail. But my mother also made me eat veggies at dinner, drink my milk, and get off my ass and go outside. And if I saw something on TV and went all OMGMOMIHAVETOHAVETHAT!!!! I still might not have gotten it because my mom actually, you know, cared.



Anyway, they better not make Pop-Tarts taste like cardboard. pissed:

[dawsongirl]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

.