FTC Cracks Down on Kellogg's Health Claims

Yesterday, the FTC took some of the 'snap, crackle and pop' out of Rice Krispies. As part of a settlement between Kellogg and the FTC, no longer will boxes of Rice Krispies proclaim: “Now helps support your child’s immunity,” with “25 percent Daily Value of Antioxidants and Nutrients – Vitamins A, B, C, and E.” and “Kellogg’s Rice Krispies has been improved to include antioxidants and nutrients that your family needs to help them stay healthy.”

Read the release here, and a NY Times article covering the topic here.  

Kellogg has been in the hot seat with the FTC since last year's dispute over the claim that Frosted-Mini Wheat cereal was, "clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20%.” (Remember the TV ad with the talking Frosted Mini-Wheat square helping the kid with schoolwork? You won't see those anymore either.)

Ok, so Rice Krispies isn't exactly high on my health-offender list, which is why this is such a good example. Who really thinks of Rice Krispies as unhealthy? In truth, without the vitamin-fortification, Rice Krispies is an exceedingly average source of simple carbohydrates with a dollop of sodium (299mg in 1 1/4 cup).  That's it. All it needs is a little vitamin-fortification here, some antioxidants there, some health claims and ta-da! Healthy food! 

Health claims exist to get people to buy stuff. They annoy me for many reasons. In this case, it's because they are especially effective on something as benign as Rice Krispies. (I hope that most people have a clue about some other products...how about 7 Up with Antioxidants?)

With that said, I'll leave off with the words of FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz:

“We expect more from a great American company than making dubious claims – not once, but twice – that its cereals improve children’s health. Next time, Kellogg needs to stop and think twice about the claims it’s making before rolling out a new ad campaign, so parents can make the best choices for their children.”