Kellogg's withdraws immunity claims in cereals

Although the company did not receive any warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has decided to pull out the large labels on the cereal boxes, "Now helps support your child's immunity” amid the growing concern of swine flu.

The move has been appreciated by San Francisco's city attorney Dennis Herrera who said critics called the claims "a cynical marketing ploy".

He had issued a letter to the CEO and president of Kelloggs which stated that the claims "may also mislead parents into believing that serving this sugary cereal will actually boost their child's immunity, leaving parents less likely to take more productive steps to protect their children's health."

Anti-oxidants added in response to consumer concerns
To ensure improved nutrition for the consumers, the food maker had added extra anti-oxidants--vitamins A, B, C, and E--in its cereals last year when the swine flu pandemic was not in the equation, stated company’s spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz.

Phasing out the packaging completely will take time, however, Kelloggs will continue to offer increased levels of vitamins in its cereals, she said.

“While science shows that antioxidants help support the immune system, given the public attention on H1N1, the company decided to make this change,” according to a Kellogg’s statement. “We will, however, continue to provide the increased amounts of vitamins A, B, C and E (25% Daily Value) that the cereal offers.”

FDA's move
In the wake of swine flu pandemic, the FDA is sending messages to all the companies as well the consumers to remain vigilant of the tall health claims.

In recent years, FDA has been monitoring the health claims offered by various food makers to protect consumers against misleading claims.

It does not favor claims which approve immunity, however, food makers are allowed to give immunity supporting claims for instance, "calcium builds strong bones" or "fiber maintains bowel regularity”.

In both the conditions, the manufacturers are accountable to ensure the accuracy and truthfulness of the claim.