Kelloggs to back down on immunity claims in cereals

By Sheilah Downey

With food and drug labeling being closely scrutinized by federal and state health officials during the swine flu pandemic, companies are curbing the claims they are making about their products.

Kellogg Cereal company Wednesday they would stop claiming their cereals offer immunities to children, a move applauded by San Francisco's city attorney who said critics called the claims "a cynical marketing ploy."

Kelloggs announced the decision to desist from labels on their Rice and Cocoa Krispies cereals that read "now helps support your child's immunity," even though they did not receive a warning from the FDA.

But the FDA is sending a message to all companies that they will be vigilant in demanding truth and consistency in advertising in light of the swine flu pandemic.

Last week the FDA announced changes to be implemented in the "Smart Choices" food label program when sugary cereals like Froot Loops and Lucky Charms were included as "healthy" options.

In a letter to the Smart Choices program, the FDA said labels on many of the packages had competing symbols "which are based on different nutrient criteria and are likely to confuse consumers." The FDA said they would need to monitor and evaluate the products more closely to protect consumers against misleading or inconsistent claims.

The FDA also issued warnings to consumers last month about more than 140 products sold over the internet -- from shampoo to fake tamiflu -- that claimed to treat the swine flu virus.

In their company statement, Kelloggs said they had added vitamins A, B, C, and E to their cereals in response to parents asking for more "positive nutrition" in kid's foods and did not time it to come out as the swine flu pandemic was announced.

"While science shows that these antioxidants help support the immune system, given the public attention on H1N1, the company decided to make this change," reads the Kellogg statement.

S.F. City Attorney Dennis Herrera last week sent a letter to the CEO and president of Kelloggs demanding  the company substantiate immunity claims made on the front of the cereal boxes.

The letter stated in part that the immunity claims "may also mislead parents into believing that serving this sugary cereal will actually boost their child's immunity, leaving parents less likely to take more productive steps to protect their children's health."

Herrera issued a statement today applauding Kellogg's decision to discontinue the claims on their cereals.