London - Kellogg’s has been censured by the British advertising watchdog after it falsely claimed that sugar is not related to obesity or ill-health.
The firm had attempted to counter criticism from health groups over the high levels of sugar in its cereals by publishing information on its Coco Pops website that was supposed to tell children the truth about the ingredient.
But the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that this health information was misleading.
Kellogg’s said an independent dietician had gathered medical evidence from a World Health Organisation committee.
The Coco Pops website claimed: “A panel of world health experts recently reviewed all the scientific evidence and concluded that a high sugar intake is not related to obesity, or the development of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer. Nor was it connected to behavioural problems, such as hyperactivity, in children.”
But in fact a number of scientific reviews have found a relationship between sugar intake and obesity, the ASA said. It therefore ruled that Kellogg’s claim that there was no link at all was “misleading”, as was its claim there was no link with diabetes.
The ASA accepted Kellogg’s had based its claims on credible scientific evidence, but added: “We considered that Kellogg’s had overstated the certainty of the experts’ conclusions.”
It said Kellogg’s should change the wording on its website, which it agreed to do. Paul Wheeler, of Kellogg’s, said: “We accept we didn’t point out some studies suggesting there may be a link between tooth decay and drinking too many sugary drinks.
“We didn’t leave it out intentionally and, given the ASA’s decision, we will in future keep information as broad as possible.”
In a list of the most sugary breakfast cereals from consumer group Which? Kellogg’s Frosties came top, with a 50g bowl containing the equivalent of 4.4 teaspoons of sugar. A bowl of Coco Pops contained 4.17 teaspoons. - Daily Mail