Kellogg’s loses appeal to promote sugary cereals in supermarkets
Kellogg’s has lost its appeal to include sugary cereals in promotions at supermarkets.
New rules have placed restrictions on supermarket promotions on food and drinks that are high in sugar, salt and fat. Kellogg’s argued that its cereals should be included in in-store promotions because the nutritional value of milk was not factored in. The brand brought legal action against the government, suggesting that it should be able to promote its range of breakfast cereals as part of special offers and deals.
The cereal giant has now lost its legal battle and will not be able to promote sugary cereals as part of supermarket promotions in line with new laws governing advertising. On July 4th, the judge rejected the company’s argument on the grounds that adding milk would not reduce the sugar content of the cereal. The judge also added that there were no preparation instructions, which meant that it was not obvious that cereals should be consumed with milk.
Managing director of Kellogg UK, Chris Silcock, said that he was “disappointed” with the result but confirmed that the company would not be appealing the outcome. Instead, he encouraged the government to change its policies.
President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene & Therapy, Diane Rochford, welcomed stricter guidelines for supermarket promotions. A diet rich in sugar is a major contributing factor to increasing rates of tooth decay and obesity in children and adults in the UK. Ms Rochford said that the impact of high-sugar diets on children was particularly worrying. Tooth decay is the most common cause of hospital admissions among UK children.
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