Early bird: Kellogg chomps cereal salt reduction targets

11-Jun-2012 - Last updated on 12-Jun-2012 at 16:38 GMT

Related tags Sodium

Kellogg Australia has achieved salt reduction targets for its two flagship products ahead of schedule as per an industry commitment made in 2010.

The cereal maker said this week it has reduced the salt levels in its flagship Corn Flakes and Rice Bubbles cereal products by 20%, fulfilling its commitment on breakfast cereals under the Food and Health Dialogue.

This commitment was part of many other earlier commitments made by the food industry to reduce the sodium content of breads, soups, sauces and processed meats sold in Australia.

8 months ahead

Kellogg said the reduction target has been achieved eight months ahead of schedule with the reformulated cereal already in production and ready for a rollout by August 2012.

With the latest measure, Kellogg has reduced salt levels across its portfolio of cereals by up to 59% since 1997, a statistic that equates to approximately 276 metric tonnes removed from Australian diets every year, the company claimed.

“Breakfast cereals have never been a major contributor to salt in Australian diets but we believe we have an important role to play in leading by example and making reductions wherever possible,” said Stevie Reid, senior nutritionist at Kellogg Australia said.

“We’re continuously looking for ways to improve the nutritional value of our cereals, whether that’s less salt, more fibre or low GI and high protein options, without sacrificing the great taste that Australians expect,” he added.

Reid said that since salt was a key ingredient in the taste of these products, it was removed in small amounts over long periods of time to ensure that the palates of consumers moved with the reductions.

These products, “have been around for over 80 years, so we know they are much loved by Australian shoppers. We’ve been reducing salt slowly now for over 14 years to ensure that the taste of the products continues to delight,” said Reid.

The cereal maker also confirmed it was on schedule to deliver on its Food and Health Dialogue commitment to reduce sodium by 15% in all Kellogg’s cereals that exceed 400 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams by the end of 2013.

“We’re on track to meet our sodium reduction goal by the end of 2013. In fact, we’ve already achieved the reductions for Special K Original, Special K Honey Almond, Coco Pops, Coco Pops Chex and Froot Loops,” confirmed Reid.