Kellogg’s and Coca-Cola respond to sugar critics
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- Published: Wednesday, 10 May 2017 07:48
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Kellogg’s, the world’s leading cereal manufacturer, has spent millions of pounds on research to counter claims that its sugar-laden products are fuelling the obesity crisis. Global sales of Coca-Cola's fizzy drinks fell by one per cent for the first three months of 2017 as health-conscious consumers across the US and Europe are increasingly shying away from drinks with a high sugar content.
Kellogg’s has been attacked for putting more sugar in some of its breakfast cereals than is found in cakes, doughnuts and ice creams. A bowl of its Crunchy Nut cereal can contain more than half the recommended maximum intake of added sugar for a six-year-old. Now The Sunday Times has established that Kellogg’s helped fund a report, published in a medical journal in December, attacking the UK government’s recommendations to cut sugar intake. It has also funded British studies suggesting that eating cereals may help children stay a healthy weight.
Simon Capewell, a founder of Action on Sugar and a professor in public health and policy at Liverpool University, called on Kellogg’s to publish a full list of the scientists and research organisations to whom it pays professional fees and research grants. Coca-Cola published a similar list in 2015 after a row over how its research funding was influencing the debate over public health. “They are funding scientists and organisations to undermine the established evidence that eating too much sugar is harmful,” Capewell said.
Kellogg’s said it was committed to “slowly reducing sugar” in its products. A spokesman said: “As a low-calorie, grain-based food choice we believe cereals have a role to play in tackling obesity. We follow appropriate guidelines for transparency and disclosure.”
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has announced plans to cut about 20 per cent of it corporate workforce, as the company battles a drop in sales due to falling demand for its sugary drinks. The US firm said it will cut 1,200 jobs starting later this year as it increases its cost-cutting target by $800m and is now expecting to save $3.8bn by 2019.
This represents about a 22 per cent reduction of its 5,500 corporate staff or a 1 per cent reduction in its total workforce of 100,300 employees, according to figures by FactSet, cited by AP. Global sales of Coca-Cola's fizzy drinks fell by one per cent for the first three months of 2017 as health-conscious consumers across the US and Europe are increasingly shying away from drinks with a high sugar content.
Nestlé, the company behind KitKat and Aero, last year claimed it made a scientific breakthrough that has the potential to reduce sugar in its treats by up to 40 per cent, without affecting the taste. It followed PepsiCo’s commitment to spend billions of dollars creating new snacks and beverages, and reformulating existing ones to cut salt, sugar and fat content.
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