Breakfast cereal producers hit back at misleading pack claims

29-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 29-Aug-2018 at 13:26 GMT

Cereal makers hit back at claims its products showed unrealistic portion sizes

Cereal manufacturers have hit back at claims that on pack images mislead children into consuming more than the recommended portion size.

A report published by the British Dental Journal, UK children's breakfast cereals – an oral health perspective, claimed that the imagery on packs such as Coco Pops and Frosties depicted bowls of cereal up to three times the size of the recommended portion.

If children were to imitate the imagery, they would be consuming more than 100% of their daily limit of sugar in one bowl, according to the report.

Range overhaul

A Kellogg’s spokesman told Food Manufacture that it had overhauled its range of cereals, removing 40% of sugar from its Coco Pops range and taking its high in sugar Ricicles off supermarket shelves – facts it claimed the report had missed.

“We try really hard to ensure the health benefits of our cereals are clear for everyone and also comply with the law,” said the spokesman. “That’s why we have rigorous processes in place to ensure that the images of cereal on our packs are true to European standardised portion sizes.

“This is thoroughly tracked from design of the packs through to production. When creating the on-pack photography all cereal is weighed to ensure it is the recommended serving in the bowl.”

A spokesman for the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers said that, while images on pack may vary from company to company, breakfast cereal producers were legally required to be accurate when using their packaging to show consumers what the product inside looked like or was made from.

‘EU standardised portion sizes’

“Most breakfast cereal producers use EU standardised portion sizes on their packs. These portion sizes were developed by cereal companies across Europe on the basis of independent analysis and these are regularly reviewed to ensure they are realistic and reasonable,” said the spokesman.

“Companies fully embrace their legal obligation to tell their customers what is in their food, and ingredients lists and nutrition information per 100 grams are both provided on pack.”

Meanwhile, breakfast cereal and snack manufacturer Weetabix confirmed that it would be able to meet its commitment to sourcing all of its wheat from British farmers.