New Delhi|Sandeep
The survey on global breakfast cereal brands reveals wide differences in the levels of salt and sugar found in the same breakfast cereals sold around the world.
The World Action on Salt and Health (WASH), a global group with a mission to improve the health of populations by achieving a gradual reduction in salt intake, conducted a survey across 29 countries. Consumer Voice a national level consumer organization based at New Delhi participated in this survey from India.
Shockingly the salt and sugar level found in these breakfast cereals is much higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended daily sugar and salt intake for an adult individual.
Survey on global breakfast cereal brands has revealed wide differences in the levels of salt and sugar found in the same breakfast cereals sold around the world. The survey looked at19 products by Kellogg’s and Nestle/General Mills from 29 countries for comparison and found the SUGAR content ranged from 57g to 8g per 100g, a difference of 86%,whilst the SALT content ranged from 1.93gto 0.08g per 100g, a difference of 96%across all cereals.
Currently the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults should restrict their salt content to 5g a day and free sugars intake to 25g a day.
The cereal with the highest sugar content was Kellogg’s Honey Smacks sold in Mexico which contained 17g sugar per 30g serving – that’s over 4 teaspoons in one bowl- equivalent to nearly 2 and a half Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
It is also found that Kellogg’s Corn Flakes sold in India (1.93g/100g or 0.58g per 30g serving) which contains 46% more salt than the same cereal sold in Argentina and Brazil (1.04g/100g or 0.31g per 30g serving).
Main findings of survey:
• High and unnecessary amount of sugar is added to breakfast cereals with 58% of cereals surveyed containing high levels of sugar
• Not one single product featured contained low levels of sugar
• 54% of the cereals surveyed contain 2 teaspoons or more of sugar per suggested serving
• The salt and sugar content of breakfast cereals varies hugely between countries
• WASH calls on breakfast cereal manufactures to reduce the salt and sugar content of cereals to the lowest levels across all countries.
The highest sugar and salt content in cereal brands make the food unhealthy and can causes the risk diseases like obesity, cardiac arrest, blood pressure as said by the doctors.
