Sweet cereals appeal to kids and parents

Grocer,  August 16, 2008  by David Burrows

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Sugar doesn't just help the medicine go down, it encourages kids to eat cereals as well.

Sales of Coco Pops, Cheerios and Frosties--all viewed as sugary cereals--are in good growth, according to the latest sales figures from Nielsen.

This is despite an Ofcom advertising ban and concerns over childhood obesity.

Honey Monster Foods' Sugar Puffs brand was one of the top performers in terms of growth, with sales up an impressive 14.4% to 21m [pounds sterling] [Nielsen MAT w/e 19 July 2008].

Nestle Cheerios grew 14.6% to 49m [pounds sterling] while Kellogg's Coco Pops grew 8.7% to 64.5m [pounds sterling] .

Manufacturers have managed to strike a balance between taste and trust, said experts. Kids like the taste and parents trust manufacturers not to overload their products with sugar.

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"In our research, mums held the view that presweetened cereals were a way for them to control sugar consumption rather than letting the kids loose with the sugar bowl when they've turned their backs," said Jane lames, head of marketing at Honey Monster Foods.

And there could be more growth on the way, if manufacturers can convince more children to eat breakfast. Currently one in six still miss what nutritionists refer to as "the most important meal of the day", according to Kellogg's.

Sugary cereals have come under close scrutiny in the past couple of years since the introduction of the FSA's Nutrient Profiling Model, which is used by Ofcom to decide which products can be advertised to children.

The industry has pledged to continue its fight against the model, which it says is discriminatory as cereals are eaten in portions smaller than the 100g units used by the FSA to measure nutritional value.

COPYRIGHT 2008 William Reed Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning