A June 18, 2007 entry on the National Public Radio blog mentions the reaction of ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan to Kellogg's' decision to partner (under duress) with Center for Science in the Public Interest to change its cereal marketing practices:
Kellogg Co. announced last week that it will cut the sugar, fat, and sodium content of food it markets to children under twelve: no more than 200 calories per serving, no trans fat and no more than two grams of saturated fat, along with limits on sugar, according to WebMD. Kellogg will market only the brands that meet the nutritional criteria. A third of the cereals it markets to children in the U.S. fall outside the standards, Kellogg says.
The announcement, part of the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative to fight childhood obesity, is the first really big shot fired in a race by companies like McDonald's and Hershey's to "beat a July 18 deadline to announce responsible-marketing pledges of their own at a government kids'-obesity forum," Advertising Age reports. But Elizabeth Whelan writes in the New York Post that Kellogg has sold out and that even presweetened cereal can be a good source of nutrition for kids.
Kellogg's new criteria produce some weird results. Rice Krispies, for instance, miss the cut because of sodium levels (Salt in breakfast cereal? Gross), but Frosted Flakes are OK. I can see that this will take a while for parents to figure out.
