Cereal companies plan to up the nutritional value of kids' products When we walk down the cereal aisle at the supermarket, my daughter's eyes immediately widen. That's when the great debate begins. She is drawn - almost hypnotically - to the colorful cartoon characters on the package, the delectable chocolate and fruit flavors, and sometimes even the promise of a free gift. I, on the other hand, try to convince her that the cereal with the relatively dull packaging - a bowl of brown flakes dotted with shriveled raisins - is a much better option. "Yeah right, the expression on her face seems to say. Who can blame her. For a four-year-old a talking tiger and an animated monkey carry much more authority than a parent. More often than not, I give in, berating myself for not making wiser, more nutritious choices for my daughter. Well, a recent announcement by Kellogg Co. Thursday promises to give parents a sporting chance. The company announced that it would increase the nutritional value of the cereals and snacks targeted at children or else stop marketing those products to them altogether. The change comes after parents and advocacy groups worried about child obesity threatened a lawsuit. The new standard calls for a single serving of a product to contain no more than 200 calories; have no trans fat and no more than two grams of saturated fat; have no more than 230 milligrams of sodium; and have no more than 12 grams of sugar. I was stunned to think that the cereal I was feeding my daughter was hardly nutritious enough to keep her going through a long day at school. A third of the cereals that Kellogg markets to children in the US fall outside those standards, chief marketing officer Mark Baynes reportedly said. Most cereals fall inside the calorie guideline, he said, but meeting the sugar and sodium standards could be more challenging. David Mackay, Kellogg s president and chief executive, said the company was "taking action because of increasing concerns about marketing to children. The more nutritional food will be sold throughout the world, Mackay added. The company also plans to make immediate changes to its web sites for children, including automatic screen time limits and information about healthy lifestyles and nutrition. It also said it will limit images of foods in computer games, downloads and wallpaper that don t meet the new criteria. Battle Creek-based Kellogg also is adding nutritional information to the front of its cereal boxes in North America. The summary Guideline Daily Amounts is designed to provide a snapshot of how the food fits into a proper diet. Wherever possible, implementation of Kellogg s commitments will begin immediately, Mackay said. All implementation of all commitments will be completed by the end of 2008. As time passes and eating habits change, Kellogg will continue to evaluate and adjust its products in a way that meets consumers needs without sacrificing taste, he said. So possibly, my daughter and I may find some common ground the next time we visit the supermarket. That is, as long as we avoid the other battle ground: the sweets aisle. With additional reporting from AP.
