Evaluating the Nutritional Content of Children’s Breakfast Cereals in Australia

Tong, Terence; Rangan, Anna; Gemming, Luke

doi:10.3390/children5070084

Cited by 12 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The current study reports that a large proportion of child-orientated REBCs are less healthful; similar concerns have been reported by others [9,19,24,26]. The larger proportion of less healthful REBCs observed in the Latin American countries may be due to the lower protein and fibre combined with higher sugar content.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Similar findings are reported for REBCs in Guatemala [12], Mexico [8] and Ecuador [13]. However, there is a well-established body of evidence that consistently highlights concerns about the nutritional quality of REBCs and yoghurts marketed to children, in particular the high sugar content, while other nutrients of concern are fat, sodium, protein and fibre [9,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. In the UK, REBCs and yoghurts contribute to 15% and 16% of free sugar intake in children aged 1.5-10 years, respectively [11].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…In the Latin American countries examined here, REBCs contained significantly higher sugar content than those of the UK. High sugar content of REBCs has been previously reported in several countries [9,19,26]. It is also known that REBCs targeting children are higher in total sugar than REBCs targeting adults [24].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Sugar Content and Nutritional Quality of Child Orientated Ready to Eat Cereals and Yoghurts in the UK and Latin America; Does Food Policy Matter?

et al. 2020

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Ready to eat breakfast cereals (REBCs) and yoghurts provide important nutrients to children’s diets, but concerns about their high sugar content exist. Food reformulation could contribute to sugar reduction, but policies across countries are not uniform. We aimed to compare the sugar content and nutritional quality of child-orientated REBCs and yoghurts in Latin American countries with the UK. In a cross-sectional study, nutritional information, marketing strategies, and claims were collected from the food labels and packaging of products available in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador and the UK. Nutritional quality was assessed using the UK Ofcom Nutrient Profiling System. In total, 262 products were analysed (59% REBCs/41% yoghurts). REBCs in the UK had a lower sugar content (mean ± SD) (24.6 ± 6.4) than products in Ecuador (34.6 ± 10.8; p < 0.001), Mexico (32.6 ± 7.6; p = 0.001) and Guatemala (31.5 ± 8.3; p = 0.001). Across countries, there were no differences in the sugar content of yoghurts. A large proportion (83%) of REBCs and 33% of yoghurts were classified as “less healthy”. In conclusion, the sugar content of REBCs in Latin America is higher than those of the UK, which could be attributed to the UK voluntary sugar reduction programme. Sugar reformulation policies are required in Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

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Sugar Content and Nutritional Quality of Child Orientated Ready to Eat Cereals and Yoghurts in the UK and Latin America; Does Food Policy Matter?

et al. 2020

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“…The association with lower discretionary intake and lower sugars and sodium intakes throughout the rest of the day may be in part due to breakfast cereal consumers being more likely to make healthier dietary choices throughout the rest of the day (and breakfast skippers less healthy dietary choices), or it may be due to the causal influence that breakfast choice may have on subsequent consumption during the rest of the day. Importantly, both non-cereal breakfasts [38] and breakfast cereal breakfast [69] are not homogenous, and this may influence the relationship between breakfast choice and dietary intake. Breakfast cereals range in their nutrient profile including added sugars, sodium and fortified nutrients like iron and calcium [70].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breakfast Choice Is Associated with Nutrient, Food Group and Discretionary Intakes in Australian Adults at Both Breakfast and the Rest of the Day

Fayet‐Moore¹,

McConnell²,

Cassettari³

et al. 2019

Nutrients

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Breakfast choice is correlated with daily nutrient intakes, but this association may not be solely explained by the breakfast meal. We profiled breakfast consumer groups among Australian adults and compared the role that breakfast versus the rest of the day had on daily intakes of the Five Food Groups, discretionary foods, and nutrients. Breakfast groups were breakfast cereal consumers, non-cereal breakfast consumers, and breakfast skippers. One-day dietary recall data from the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey were analysed (n = 9341, ≥19 years), as well as socio-demographic and anthropometric measures. Twelve per cent of adults were breakfast skippers, 41% were breakfast cereal consumers, and 47% were non-cereal breakfast consumers. Females were more likely to have a non-cereal breakfast than males, and the non-cereal breakfast was predominantly bread-based. Breakfast skipping decreased with age (p < 0.001), while breakfast cereal consumption increased with age (p < 0.001). Breakfast skippers were more likely to be male, had a lower socio-economic status, and lower physical activity levels (p < 0.001). Breakfast skippers had the highest mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (p < 0.001), the lowest intake of wholegrain foods, fruits and vegetables, and the highest intake of discretionary foods (p < 0.001). Breakfast cereal consumers had the lowest mean BMI and waist circumference (p < 0.001) and had healthier diets at both breakfast and throughout the rest of the day. They were the most likely to meet the daily recommended serves for grain foods, fruit, dairy, and vegetables, had the highest wholegrain food intake, and the lowest discretionary intake (p < 0.001). Additionally, breakfast cereal consumers had the most favourable daily nutrient intakes, including the lowest added sugars intakes. Differences in daily diet between breakfast groups were attributed to differences in food choices both at breakfast and throughout the rest of the day.

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“…Of particular concern are those RTEC formulated and targeted specifically at children. Data from New Zealand (17,18) and Australia (15,19) suggest that children's RTEC generally exhibit a poorer nutritional profile than other RTEC categories, with significantly high levels of sugar and fat (15,20,21) . In addition, while smaller than usual serving sizes are suggested on children's RTEC by the manufacturer (15,18) , these are rarely used by consumers to inform actual portion size (22) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The nutritional content of children’s breakfast cereals: a cross-sectional analysis of New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA

Chepulis

Everson

Ndanuko

et al. 2019

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective:To compare the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) content, serving size and package size of children’s ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (RTEC) available in five different Western countries.Design:NIP label information was collected from RTEC available for purchase in major supermarket chains. Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U and χ2 tests were applied to detect differences between countries on manufacturer-declared serving size, total energy (kJ), total protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, total sugar, Na and fibre content. The Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) was used to evaluate the number of products deemed to be ‘unhealthy’.Setting:Supermarkets in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.Participants:Children’s breakfast cereals (n 636), including those with and without promotional characters.Results:The majority of children’s RTEC contained substantial levels of total sugar and differences were apparent between countries. Median sugar content per serving was higher in US cereals than all other countries (10·0 v. 7·7–9·1 g; P < 0·0001). Median fat and saturated fat content were lowest in Australia and New Zealand RTEC, while the Na content of RTEC was 60–120 % higher in the USA and Canada than in Australia and the UK (all P ≤ 0·01).Conclusions:Across all countries, there was a high proportion of RTEC marketed for children that had an unhealthy nutrient profile. Strategies and policies are needed to improve the nutrient value of RTEC for children, so they provide a breakfast food that meets nutrition guidelines.

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Evaluating the Nutritional Content of Children’s Breakfast Cereals in Australia

Cited by 12 publications

References 30 publications

Sugar Content and Nutritional Quality of Child Orientated Ready to Eat Cereals and Yoghurts in the UK and Latin America; Does Food Policy Matter?

Sugar Content and Nutritional Quality of Child Orientated Ready to Eat Cereals and Yoghurts in the UK and Latin America; Does Food Policy Matter?

Breakfast Choice Is Associated with Nutrient, Food Group and Discretionary Intakes in Australian Adults at Both Breakfast and the Rest of the Day

The nutritional content of children’s breakfast cereals: a cross-sectional analysis of New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA

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