Warning to parents over popular cereals fuelling kids’ obesity – worst offenders revealed

THE Frosties tiger, Nesquik bunny and Coco Pops monkey are all icons of the breakfast table.

But health campaigners reckon these colourful cartoon characters should be banned because they're fuelling obesity in kids.

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Action on Sugar is calling for the removal of such packaging on products graded as high or medium for sugars, salt or saturated fat, based on the Department for Health's nutrition guidelines.

Research by the group, based at Queen Mary University of London, compared 133 different cereals offered in the UK.

It found 47 per cent of cereals, including Kellogg's Frosties, contained more than a third of the maximum sugar recommendation for a four- to six-year-old, which is 19g or five teaspoons, per bowl.

Of these, products by supermarket chains Lidl and Aldi and the brand Nestle had the highest average sugar levels with packaging targeted at children.

This included:

• Lidl's Crownfield Choco Hazelnut Pillows, which contains 28.5g of sugar per 100g (or 8.6g/two teaspoons per serving)
• Nestlé’s Lion Caramel & Chocolate Cereal, which contains 25g of sugar per 100g (or 7.5g/two teaspoons per serving)
• Aldi's Harvest Morn Honey Nut Crunchy Cornflakes, which contain 28g of sugar per 100g (or 8.5g/two teaspoons per serving)

The boxes include cartoons, vibrant colours and familiar characters intentionally designed to attract the attention of youngsters.

By contrast, healthier products tend to be sold in more plain packaging targeted towards adults.

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Only nine cereals in the research were found to be low in sugar.

This list included:

• Nestle Bitesize Shredded Wheat, which contains 0.7g of sugar per 100g (or 0.3g per serving)
• Tesco Super Smooth Porridge, which contains 1g of sugar per 100g (or 0.3g per serving)
• Troo Happy Porridge with Flaxseed Omega 3s and Uplifting Cinnamon, which contains 3.3g of sugar per 100g (or 1.6g per serving)
• Troo Energise Porridge with Chocolate & Maca, which contains 3.8g of sugar per 100g (or 1.9g per serving)

Lidl announced in 2020 that it would from all its own-brand cereal packaging in Britain.

Breakfast cereals saw a 15 per cent reduction in sugar levels between 2015 and 2020.

But the Sugar Reduction Programme, announced in the Government's obesity plan in 2016, set a target of 20 per cent in that timeframe.

Campaign lead Dr Kawther Hashem said: "It's ludicrous that whilst breakfast cereals and yogurts celebrate the largest reductions in sugars during the Sugar Reduction Programme, those same products with child-appealing packaging still have excessive amounts of sugars, unsuitable for regular intake by children.

"Given the soaring numbers of under-18s suffering weight-related health problems and tooth decay being the leading cause of child hospitalisation, now is the time for companies to be forced to remove child-appealing packaging from products that are misleading parents and making our children unhealthy and sick."

'LUDICROUS'

Nutritionist Zoe Davies added: "There is no reason why products with high or medium levels of salt or sugar should be marketed as 'suitable for children'.

"If we are to protect the health of our future generation, then bold action is required now from both government and companies alike, and this must include child-friendly packaging only being placed on healthier products."

And Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine, said: "Obesity is estimated to cost the UK £58billion each year, having a huge impact on economic productivity and the NHS.

"Drastic changes are needed to the food system and that includes responsible marketing of food and drink, especially to children."

A spokesperson for Nestle said: "We are committed to developing food and drink products that are tasty, nutritious and more sustainable.

"We offer a broad portfolio of cereals and yoghurts to meet consumer demand and ensure there is an option to suit everybody.

"Since 2003, Nestle Cereals embarked on a significant and consistent work of reformulation meaning 84 per cent of the portfolio is now classed as not high in fat, salt and sugar (non-HFSS) according to the UK Government's nutrient profiling model.

"That is 18 products within our cereal portfolio in the UK that are non-HFSS and contain no red traffic lights.

"Our yoghurt portfolio has also made significant steps in reformulation and has seen a reduction of 20 per cent of sugar across our products."

Aldi said it was "committed to reducing sugar in key areas that lead to children's sugar intake as part of its work to tackle obesity among children".

The company added that defining packaging with vibrant colours as appealing to children was "misleading" and had led to "skewed results".

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One in 10 children is obese by the time they start primary school, rising to one if four by the age of 10, according to NHS data.

About 25 per cent of five-year-olds in the UK have tooth decay.