Leading Cereal Company Announces Lower Sugar Content

12/11/2009

Responding to criticism about the nutritional value of products that it markets heavily to children, General Mills announced recently that it will reduce the sugar content in a number of its popular cereals.

A company announcement said that General Mills is working to bring the sugar content in many cereals below 10 grams per serving, and also pointed out that in some cases, it has already reduced the sugar content of some cereals by 20 percent.

The company has also noted that many of its cereals now provide eight grams more of whole grain in each serving.

Earlier this year, some food manufacturers found themselves facing criticism for a program claiming that some products could be counted as healthy diet choices, despite their questionable nutritional value.

When it comes to fighting childhood obesity and promoting better long-term health in young people, the General Mills announcement may be more symbolic than anything. After all, the announcement also pointed out that presweetened cereals account for only 5 percent of the sugar in a typical child's diet.

That point helps illustrate the important role parents have to play when it comes to teaching their children to make healthy nutritional and exercise choices, which can pay off in the long term with a higher quality of life and lower health insurance and medical costs.

ShareThis