Food / 8 August, 2017 / My Baba

Why Are Cereal Brands Hiding Sugar Content On Packaging?

Cereal manufacturers in the UK have been attacked for refusing to use the colour-coded labelling system to disclose sugar content on packaging.

The “traffic light” system, which many brands now use to help consumers make healthy food choices, has been “scandalously” discarded by popular cereal brands. Nestle and Kellogg’s are among the companies not using the Department of Health approved system, reported Sky News.

The cereals, including Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Honey and Nut Clusters, and Jordan’s Country Crisp are not labelled because the cereals contain so much sugar that the traffic lights would be red and deter consumers.

The colour-coding system labels green for low, amber for medium and red for high to quickly and easily demonstrate to consumers the levels of fat, salt and sugar in their food.

Action For Sugar are calling for all food and drink products to contain the label to help consumers make the best choices as part of a balanced diet.

“It’s scandalous that certain food manufacturers are still refusing to be transparent when it comes to front of pack nutrition labelling,” says Action For Sugar Campaign Campaign Director Katharine Jenner. 

“If there is no front of pack label with one brand, shoppers should assume they are hiding something – so buy another brand instead,” she continued.

When questioned about the sugar content in Kellogg’s products, a spokesperson explained, “Our long-term sugar reduction programme has already seen sugar come down in some of our biggest brands while removing 2,000 tonnes of sugar from the nation’s diet by the end of 2017.”

READ MORE: Sugar-Free Cereals For The Whole Family