From USAToday:
Last week, San Francisco sent a letter to Kellogg and to the Food and Drug Administration asking Kellogg to prove its claim. "I am concerned the prominent use of the immunity claims to advertise a sugar-laden chocolate cereal like Cocoa Krispies may mislead and deceive parents of young children," said Dennis Herrera, the city attorney.
Kellogg says the critics are wrong. Development of the line started more than a year ago, and it was rolled out in May 2009. "It was not created to capitalize on the current H1N1 flu situation," spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz says. "Kellogg developed this product in response to consumers expressing a need for more positive nutrition."
Apparently, Kellogg sprayed some more vitamins A, C and E on the sugary puffs as justification for the new marketing language.
What do you think?
Critics blast Kellogg's claim that cereals can boost immunity [USAToday] (Thanks, Steve!)
]]>I'm not too worried. The words "help" and "support" are weasel-words. The manufacturer never claimed that cocoa-krispies provide immunity, they just implied that they "help support" immunity. Hell, even water does that. What's unfortunate is that they decided to target non-savvy consumers who were likely taken in by this BS.
]]>Vitamins A, C, and E are good for your immune system. We're close to the winter months. I'm going to guess that's why they're boasting "immunity" in big letters.
But to answer your question: disease.
]]>Of course, the amount of vitamins in most of those pills is way more than you need for the proven benefits.
]]>You're absolutely right; this cereal is crap. They're just trying to sell it.
]]>@Tsubasa: touche
]]>Immunity against what?
]]>Reminds me of 7up advertising its ANTIOXIDANTS, (i.e. Vitamins C and E). If you haven't seen this yet, searching google images for "7up antioxidant" will bring up a bunch of photos.
]]>I guess I better run out and get some. I've never had a flu shot..at least not in my adult years.
]]>Or... You could just send me a cupcake.
]]>It's cereal quackery.
]]>"Kellogg is taking steps to help our consumers get more fiber in their daily diet. Our actions build on our 100-year legacy of nutrition leadership and strengthen our commitment to meeting consumers' health and nutrition needs."
]]>Yes, it's healthier--but only if you get it a certain way. Much like cereal, if you eat it a certain way (ie proper portion size.)
We, being smart consumers, realize the difference between manipulated advertisements and actual facts. The public as a whole do not.
]]>Oh, and no on the pumpkin krispies, but if they had a sweet nutmeg flavor I bet they would be good too, lol!
I have really bad pumpkin cravings in the fall. Mild cravings through the rest of the year, but pumpkins are everywhere this time of year and I want to EAT them!
]]>@Julia789: Or maybe it boosts immunity the same way that all vitamin fortified foods do, with vitamins. You could get the same effect from a daily multivitamin, or,you know, health food.
]]>@almigi: *giggle*
]]>@Spin359: I'm far more interested in immunity from prosecution.
]]>@Al Swearengen: How many consumers actually 'express a need for positive nutrition' to Kellogg? Are they part of the silent majority? Are they the same people that contact the networks and cable channels and say we want on-screen text and 20 minutes of commercials in an hour-long show? Because every time I complain to the networks that's the answer I get. People like it and want it.
And if people are asking for good nutrition in their food, Cocoa Puffs are not the answer, no matter what they add to it or spray on it. Develop a new cereal that has the good stuff (provable good stuff, not the snake oil stuff) in it.
]]>It's both. They say that the probiotic stuff strengthens immunity and helps with digestion.
But this one is specifically going for that market. [danactive.com]
]]>I drink whole milk. Skim and 2% suck. But for cereal, yeah, skim or 2% is fine. I won't notice it anyhow with all the sugary goodness. I was never allowed it as a child, but as a college student, I am actually able to eat sugar cereal (in an actual portion size, of course).
]]>I hear that Kellog's is backing a sequel to The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. In the sequel, the boy is able to come out of the bubble, thanks to Coca Krispies.
]]>@calquist: Nobody wants to associate eating Coco Krispies with helping you poop better.
]]>Bah. They should label the cereal "PROLONGS YOUR EFFING LIFE YOU MORONS!"
...since eating *something* vs. eating *nothing* will, indeed, prolong your life. Every food product in existence could be marketed that way.
]]>@Gorphlog:
It's the new buzzword!
"Helps support your child's IMMUNITY!!"
So do vaccinations.
Guess which one I'm choosing for my children?
Jonas Salk would be disgusted.
]]>@coan_net: They could be developing an amazing aptitude to rack up frags in Halo though
]]>They have this on regular rice krispies as well. I saw it, turned to my wife and said "I can do anything I want because I have IMMUNITY!"
]]>@Kimaroo - Fortified with Kittydus Purrularis: Wait, pumpkin krispies or just pumpkin? Because I've never had just pumpkin.
Pumpkin pie, sure. Pumpkin seeds, absolutely. But pumpkin krispies or just pumpkin? I'm not so sure about that
]]>More vitamins in food children eat is already a good thing. How about they put somemore in the non-sugary cereals that I traditionally buy for my kids to help them as well without the crazy sugar rush.
]]>@thehouserules: Have you ever thought of selling snake oil?
]]>As for the claim, I doubt the cereal will do anything to "boost immunity" unless the child eating it had a deficiency to begin with.
]]>@harvey_birdman: Then what would the responsible company do?
On one hand, people fret over the quality of food that children are consuming outside of school; on the other, people are fretting that companies fortify their "appealing" product with some sort of nutrition.
Would it be better to have the kids eat oatmeal/eggs for breakfast? Sure. but, if they are going to eat crap, make it healthier. The sign says, "you could get the Cocoa Pebbles, but at least you get some goodnees from our stuff."
As for Vitamin C, if all it does is help the body function properly (is that a holistic properly or an immune system properly?), then perhaps we need to lay down some sort of smackdown on most of the pharm aisle and the OJ folks for pushing Vitamin C as the immunity booster
]]>I'd imagine that most people who are not counting their calories would pour a much bigger bowl than that, and I would also guess that there are a lot of people who drink 2% on a regular basis as well.
]]>I really do want Cocoa $@$%$ Krispies. I really really do.
Not as much as pumpkin though.
*Sigh*
]]>The FDA needs to somehow get a hold of all these food and diet suppliment claims before someone is seriously hurt. As it is now, any product can say "studies suggest.." and claim anything they want.
Kellogg's has taken this to a new low! Shame on them.
]]>@TCama: mmmm. Now it tastes like mercury!
]]>@dragonprism: Definitely agree with your portion size bit. I think that we Americans are out of touch with the proper protion sizes we should be consuming, especially when you actually read the labels and recommended portion sizes.
Don't agree so much on the subway rant as their fare is still much healtheir than other fast food joints. Is it still fast food? Sure, and it has some sodium to boot. But are those subs with 7 grams of fat or less a healtheir alternative for people that want fast food? Absolutely.
]]>- Oh, how does it work?
It doesn't work.
- Uh huh.
It's just a sugary cereal.
- Uh huh.
But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
- Kellogg's, I would like to buy your cereal.
]]>@dragonprism: Proper serving? What's the proper serving of Cocoa Krispies? 11 Krispies?
]]>@Al Swearengen: This is pretty much the basis of marketing as it is though - convince people there's a need. Convince people that something is good for them, or that the competition is bad for them. Convince people something tastes good.
]]>@JediJohn82: Some cereals provide better nutrition than others. Although I don't know definitively where Cocoa Krispies ranks on the "nutritious cereal scale", I'm pretty sure it's far below Shredded Wheat, but perhaps slightly higher than "a bowlful of refined sugar".
]]>@nbs2: No, you need a certain level of Vitamin C, which varies by individual, to keep your body functioning properly. Consuming more above and beyond that level will NOT help defeat the Swine flu, any other flu, the common cold, AIDS, or any other disease, infection or malady.
This box is clearly designed to confuse parents in the hopes that they will feel less guilty about buying sugary crap for their children. It shouldn't be illegal, but a responsible company that actually cared about the quality of the product it was marketing wouldn't do this.
]]>The issue though is that people don't eat healthy--they don't eat the proper portions in proportion to how much they burn off. It's like the "Fat Free" gimmick. Just because there's no fat doesn't mean the sugar won't turn into fat if you don't burn it off.
It's a sleazy marketing ploy akin to Subway's 'heart-healthy' subs that virtually no one with any level headed consumer will buy solely for their 'health value'.
]]>"Kellogg developed this product in response to consumers expressing a need for more positive nutrition."
This shows where the cereal companies don't get it. They don't think the issue is whether something is actually nutritious and beneficial, which is what consumers want. The cereal companies think the issue is whether their marketing campaigns can convince people that their bad cereal actually might have a positive benefit somehow. The "positive" they speak of is "positive marketing" not "positive actual nutrition".
]]>I thought that people most at risk for complications for swine flu were those with the most robust immune systems...
(And paradoxically, those with compromised immune systems.)
]]>I thought Vitamin C consumption correlated strongly with a healthy immune system. Maybe more Vitamin C helps with the swine, maybe it doesn't - but it doesn't claim that.
Even the justifications for "immunity" - vitamins and such - are right next to the word, and in a good sized font.
But, I suppose I should be glad that the city of SF doesn't have anything more pressing to deal with.
]]>![[www.iateapie.net]](http://www.iateapie.net/images/brands/greengiantimmunityboost.jpg){kind=link}