Breakfast for kids: Cereal claims trick parents in Australia

PARENTS choose breakfast cereal for their kids by the pictures on the pack, not the nutritional value of the product, new research shows. TAKE OUR POLL

Erin Mallinder, with daughter Eliza Mallinder, 2, says she steers clear of cereal as much as possible. picture: Tim Carrafa

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PARENTS choose breakfast cereal for their kids by the pictures on the pack, not the nutritional value of the product, new research shows.

A Melbourne study of parents has found celebrity endorsement, cartoons, colours, images and typography can sway mums and dads more than official star ratings.

The study, involving 520 parents with children aged between five and 11, found parents of overweight children were more likely than others to choose cereals such as those that were brightly coloured and full of sugar. Parents of fussy kids were also likely to choose cereal they knew their children would eat rather than going for more healthy options, researchers found.

The University of Technology Sydney team, led by Dr Georgina Russell, said the appearance of some cereal boxes made unjustified health claims.

“Some unhealthy children’s products are more likely to contain marketing images and text implying health than healthier products, thus making it difficult for consumers to make accurate assessments of a product’s healthfulness,” Dr Russell said in an article published in the latest Appetite journal.

“Packages may contain marketing images signalling health (eg, athletes, fruits), but may also report nutrient profiles inconsistent with a healthy diet (eg, high levels of sugar or sodium) on their nutrition information panels.”

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In Australia, the federal government introduced the health star rating system in 2014, and several companies have adopted this voluntary system.

The UTS study also showed parents favoured a higher star rating over no star rating, but this was not as persuasive overall as the appearance of the pack.

The results come as 23 per cent of Australian children are overweight or obese and 98 per cent do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.

Chirnside Park mum Erin Mallinder, 30, said she steered clear of cereal as much as possible.

Instead, she gave two-year-old daughter Eliza pieces of fruit, yoghurt and toast because of her concerns over the high sugar content of many popular cereal brands.

“I steer clear of that aisle altogether,” she said. “I know Eliza would be love the look of the Froot Loop pack.”

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