Kellogg’s, a multinational cereal company, lost its case against new rules that make it harder for kids to see sugary foods in English stores on Monday in the High Court of the United Kingdom. The rules are meant to fight childhood obesity.
At a hearing in April, the company that makes Rice Krispies and Frosties spoke out against the government’s plan to figure out how much fat, salt, and sugar are in cereals based on how they are eaten dry instead of how they are eaten with milk.
But in a decision that was released on Monday, the court said that during the time when the rules were being talked about, not a single producer of breakfast cereals had a problem with the method.
Judge Thomas Linden says that there is “no debate” about the fact that morning cereals can be part of a healthy diet and should be eaten every day.
But he added: “If a breakfast cereal contains too much fat, sugar, or salt, it’s detrimental for a child’s health. There may be health benefits to consuming that cereal. “That part of the product is bad for the health of a child.” [Needs citation] “But the claim that eating a certain breakfast cereal is good for your health is not true.”
Linden thought that after the new criteria were put in place in October, 54.7% of Kellogg’s cereals would be rated as having a lower level of healthfulness.
Kellogg’s said that the change would cause annual profits to drop by about 5 million pounds ($6.1 million).
In response to the verdict, the British government said it is “committed to fighting obesity,” which is the second leading cause of cancer in the country and costs the National Health Service, which is paid for by the public, “billions of pounds a year.”
Kellogg’s says it doesn’t plan to file an appeal, but the company has asked the government to change its policy, especially since inflation is rising quickly.
Chris Silcock, who is in charge of the group’s operations in the UK, says, “By limiting where goods can be put in supermarkets, shoppers will have fewer options and may have to pay more.”
Because of this and the fact that we are in the middle of a crisis about the cost of living, we would like to ask the government very strongly to look at these policies and put the customer first.
