Kellogg is injecting “harmful additives” into the Fruit Loops it sells in the U.S., which it vowed to eliminate years ago, according to an explosive letter sent to grain giant Kellogg by a shareholder reviewed by the Post. was.
In a memo sent late Wednesday, Jason Karp, a Kellogg investor and founder and chief executive officer of health food company HumanCo, said in a memo sent late Wednesday that “Kellogg is pursuing short-term gains in the U.S. “The most popular cereal products are being filled with harmful artificial dyes, including red.” 40, yellow 6, blue 1, and preservative BHT. ”
“Kellogg knows these artificial additives can harm children,” Karp argued, citing the following research from the Center for Science in the Public Interest: …Causes hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some children. ”
Karp, who is represented by Quinn Emanuel attorney Alex Spiro, said: “Given this science, the EU will require food companies to ensure that products containing these ingredients ‘may have an adverse effect on children’s activity and alertness. “We requested that a warning label be affixed to the product stating, ‘There is a risk of sexual —Also represents Elon Musk, Jay-Z, and Kanye West.
Red 40 and Yellow 5 are used to make Flute Loops in the United States, but not internationally. It is completely banned in the UK.
Japan has also banned the use of Red 40, and Canada has banned the use of BHT preservatives, which are also an ingredient in U.S. whole grain fruity cereals.
Karp is demanding that “as a minimum first step, Kellogg must immediately reinstate its commitment to remove artificial dyes from its products.”
Karp (whose snack company Hu sold to Oreo maker Mondelez in 2021) The vow Kellogg made in August 2015 During a financial results conference with investors.
Paul Norman, president of Kellogg North America at the time, told shareholders at the time that the company was considering removing all artificial colors and flavors from its cereals, including Technicolor Flute Loops, by the end of 2018.
Karp’s letter suggests otherwise, whereas ingredient labels on American Fruit Loops boxes advertise synthetic food colors such as Red 40 and Yellow 6, which are made from petroleum. It notes that the Canadian version of the cereal contains more natural dyes, such as concentrated carrots and watermelon. And blueberry juice.
Carrie Means, a former lobbyist for Big Food and Big Pharma and a friend of Karp, told the Post: [Kellogg] Until the lawsuit. ”
“They were deliberately negligent,” he said of the company’s 2015 promise to end the use of artificial colors and preservatives in its products, which had not yet been fulfilled. “It’s linked to pre-diabetes rates, obesity in teenagers, and obesity,” he added. High school students have mental disabilities. ”
“Kellogg was quick to reformulate its foreign products with less toxic ingredients. But shockingly, despite its pledge, Kellogg added these harmful additives to the U.S. version of the same cereal. “To make matters worse, Kellogg’s continues to introduce new cereals containing these dyes, such as Baby Shark cereal for young children,” Karp claims.
It was not immediately clear how many shares Kellogg Karp owns.
All the while, Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick has been pushing the company’s “dinner cereal” vision.
“The cereal category has always been very affordable and tends to be the destination of choice when consumers are under pressure,” Pilnick boasted in an interview with CNBC last month.
“If you think about the cost of cereal for your family and what you’re going to do with it, it’s going to be much more affordable,” Pilnick added, adding that if you think about the cost of cereal and what you’re going to do with it, it’s much more affordable for a family to buy a bowl of cereal and milk instead of meat and potatoes. No mention was made of the nutritional impact of choice. Last meal of the day.
These comments infuriated cash-strapped consumers, who noted that it was “sad” to “live in a world where families have to choose cereal for dinner to save money.” On the other hand, some people consider dinner cereals to be “garbage” due to their low nutritional value.
For example, one serving of Froot Loops, about 1 1/3 cups, contains 150 calories and only 2 grams of sugar. It also contains a stomach-churning 34 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of sugar. All of these “added sugars” are not naturally found in foods, but are added during processing.
For your reference, Recommended by the American Heart Association Children and adult women should limit their added sugar intake to no more than 25 grams per day, and adult men should limit their intake to less than 36 grams.
Karp’s claims come the same week that California Congressman Jesse Gabriel introduced new legislation that would ban the use of artificial colors in food sold in school cafeterias. , Lucky Charms, Gatorade, Skittles and other children’s favorites are now on the cutting board.
The Food and Drug Administration says color additives are safe to consume when used according to regulations and that no causal link has been established between the chemicals and their effects on children’s behavior.
“Although the overall scientific evidence shows that most children do not experience any adverse effects from consuming foods containing color additives, it is possible that certain children may be sensitive to color additives. There is also evidence to suggest that.” FDA stated He said this in a Q&A on the website published in December.
The Post has reached out to Kellogg for comment.
