Ask any veteran parent and they will tell you that when it comes to grocery shopping with young children, a priori is:  keep them AWAY from the cereal aisle!  Perhaps no other section of the grocery store has inspired more temper tantrums and meltdowns than any other space in the store.

That’s because cereal packaging and ads are primarily aimed towards children; from Toucan Sam to the Kix rabbit, children are targeted.

However, Kellogg is in the hot seat at this point for making claims that may not be so reliable on a couple of their products. 

And, surprisingly, they haven’t been called to task by the Food and Drug Administration, but rather the Federal Trade Commission (NY Times).

Last July, Kellogg was investigated by the Commission regarding certain ads; specifically, they were questioned about the company’s claim that Frosted Mini-Wheats have been “clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20 percent.”

Currently, Rice Krispies are at the fore of the debate; the FTC along with various consumer groups is concerned with Kellogg’s claim that the cereal can “boost your child’s immunity.” 

The original order imposed by the FTC last July has now been expanded to restrict Kellogg’s from making ANY health claim regarding their products unless they can be backed by “scientific evidence.”

What bothers the FTC and other groups is the direct hit to kids that advertisers zero in on, especially when marketing “sugary” cereals.  On its website, the Rudd Center makes the following statement in regards to current rresearch:   “The majority of children’s cereals (66%) failed to meet national nutrition standards, particularly with respect to sugar content.”  The statement was made in reference to recent research.

 Now parents have one more reason to be dubious about the cereal aisle.