Kellogg cuts sugar in top three children’s cereals

The manufacturer’s Better Starts Plan will see Sugar in Kellogg’s Coco Pops cereal reduced by 40%, from 30g per 100g to 17g. The move followed a 14 % sugar reduction in the cereal earlier this year.

Sugar in Rice Krispies cereal will be cut by 20%, making it one of the lowest sugar cereals in the UK, claimed Kellogg. Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes cereal will see a 30% reduction in sugar per serving.

Commenting on Kellogg’s sugar cuts, UK md Oli Morton said: “We recognise, based on national dietary survey data, that people are eating too much sugar at breakfast and throughout the day and that people need more options, such as organic and vegan.  ​

 “That’s why today we are announcing more changes to our foods so that we can continue to support people in making better choices.  Our shoppers have told us that taste is still important to them so we’ve worked hard to ensure that our new recipes are just as delicious.”​

Reducing levels of salt​

Kellogg’s plans to make its cereals healthier included reducing their levels of salt. From the start of 2018, it will reduce salt in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal in the UK by 10 % and in Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes cereal in the UK by 50%.

The manufacturer also announced it would discontinue Ricicles cereal in January. It would no longer run any children’s on pack promotions on Frosties, since recent trends showed the cereal was eaten more by adults than children.

Kellogg is to remove all artificial preservatives from its breakfast foods and is to launch a new plant-based cereal range called WK Kellogg, which includes no added sugar, low-sugar, organic and vegan options.

Commenting on the sugar cuts, Jenny Rosborough, campaign manager at pressure group Action on Sugar, said: “We are encouraged by Kellogg’s sugar reduction plans and the recent changes they've made and would now like to see this ambition rolled out across their whole portfolio of cereals.​

‘Manufacturers take responsibility’​

“It is crucial that manufacturers take responsibility for the nutritional quality of cereals they're selling and how they market them, particularly to children. We'd like to see Kellogg's implement front of pack colour coded labelling to support parents in choosing their lower sugar and salt cereals more easily.”​

This latest round of reformulation followed Kellogg’s announcement in May that it had cut the sugar in a number of its cereal bar snacks. The company’s Coco Pops, Frosties and Rice Krispies bars saw their sugar content cut by up to 24%.

Kellogg’s reformulation of the bars was part of its programme to remove 2,000t of sugar from products by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, in July, Nestlé planned to cut sugar in its breakfast cereals​ by a further 10% by the end of 2018, as it continues to reformulate across its product portfolio.