Kellogg has responded to pressure from consumer advocacy group Choice to roll out the front of pack health star rating on its products.
Yesterday Choice said Australians deserved to know that Nutri-Grain and Coco Pops get 2 and 1.5 stars respectively, but Kellogg has responded saying it is looking at a number of ways to reduce sugar in its portfolio, and that it has some exciting new offerings in the pipeline.
The news came after Choice yesterday called on some of the biggest food manufacturers including Kellogg to apply the health star ratings to their products.
“Food manufacturers have been on notice since June last year to implement the new health star scheme however iconic brands such as Kellogg’s, McCain and Mars are still refusing to serve up the information consumers need,” Choice said.
“It’s just not good enough that a major player like Kellogg’s, that sells popular brands Just Right, Special K, Coco Pops and Nutri-Grain, are withholding basic health information and that’s why we have launched this campaign.”
“Kellogg’s should be embracing the new system and celebrating the fact that Just Right and All Bran receive 4 and 5 stars respectively. On the flip side, Australians deserve to know that Nutri-Grain and Coco Pops get 2 and 1.5 stars respectively.”
Industry observers note, however, that many of Australia's larger food and beverage companies are planning the implement the health stars, but given the number of skus they produce, this group has a far greater task ahead of them than some of their smaller, nimbler counterparts.
A Kellogg spokesperson told Food & Drink Business that it is always seeking ways to “improve the nutrition of our products, including less of things people don’t want and more of the things that they do.”
“As a company we are looking at a number of ways to reduce sugar in our portfolio, and have several exciting new offerings in the pipeline to be released later in 2015 and beyond,” the spokesperson said.
