A leading food safety expert has called Kellogg’s Froot Loops the worst breakfast cereal in the US, amid protests over the product’s ingredients.
Dr. Darin Detwiler, former FDA food chief, told DailyMail.com that colorful rings are “heavily processed and contain high levels of added sugars, artificial colors and preservatives, which are linked to health problems.” .
The morning snack contains 12.35 g of sugar per serving (one cup), or three teaspoons, which is almost half of a child’s daily serving.
Dr. Detwiler notes that most children “consume much more than the recommended serving, since one cup is not a realistic amount.”
But the most worrying thing is the additives that Froot Loops contains. Dr. Detwiler said Red 40, a dye that gives the earrings their neon red color, was the most concerning.
Is banned in several European countries due to its link with hyperactivity and cancerand they are not present in most products internationally, such as those from Australia and Canada.
He says the dye that damages Froot Loops the worst is Red 40, which has been has been banned in several European countries due to its link with hyperactivity and cancerand they are not present in most products internationally, such as those from Australia or Europe.
A leading food safety expert has called Kellogg’s Froot Loops the worst-problem breakfast cereal on the US market.
Together with activists, notably the actress Eva Mendes, Dr. Detwiler calls on Kellogg’s to “consider reformulating its products to reduce the use of artificial additives, colors and high levels of sugar.”
It continues: ‘With growing concerns about the long-term health effects of processed ingredients, especially those linked to cancer risks like certain food dyes, Kellogg’s has the opportunity to lead the way in producing healthier foods.
“By focusing on cleaner ingredients and transparency, they can address consumer concerns and shift toward healthier, more sustainable food options.”
Some of the other cereals that Dr. Detwiler recommends avoiding are Lucky Charms for their high sugar content and artificial colors, and Frosted Flakes for their high sugar content.
“These cereals may also contain food dyes linked to potential health risks, which is concerning when consumed frequently, especially by children,” he adds.
With all of these grains, Dr. Detwiler says they “should only be considered occasional treats and definitely not consumed daily.”
New York-based nutritionist Lisa Moskovitz agreed with this serving suggestion, telling DailyMail.com: “Although these sugary cereals are harmless in very small quantities, if consumed regularly, they could pose a health problem.”
Dr. Detwiler’s comments arise from Eva Mendes’ demand the elimination of “harmful” food dyes in popular American children’s cereals.
The 50-year-old actress. took Instagram last week to warn about artificial colors in Kellogg’s cereals like Froot Loops.
California has banned six food additives, while states such as New York and Illinois have introduced similar laws.
Dyes such as red 40 and yellow 5 have been banned in many parts of the world, but continue to persist in American versions.
Kellogg’s promised to remove artificial colors and ingredients from all of its cereals nearly a decade ago by 2018, but it has yet to deliver on that promise.
Mendes, who shares two daughters with her husband Ryan Gosling, called on Kellogg’s to remove these dyes and urged her 6.6 million followers to join a “peaceful march to Kellogg’s headquarters.”
That protest took place on Tuesday in front of the grain giant’s headquarters in Michigan, where dozens of activists delivered a petition with almost 400,000 signatures.
Mendes wrote on Instagram: ‘I grew up eating cereal. I still love it, but I will no longer eat @kelloggsus after finding out that many of the ingredients they use here in the US are BANNED in other countries.
‘Because? Because they are harmful to children.
Mendes compared Froot Loops nutrition labels in the US and Canada.
The American variety contains red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6 and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which have been linked to health problems in children.
Canadian Froot Loops replaced these dyes with concentrated juices from cranberries, carrots and watermelon.
In a statement, Kellogg’s said: “Our products, and the ingredients we use to make them, comply with all applicable laws and regulations.”
“We remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily choose the foods they buy.”
The company also claims that 85 percent of its cereals do not contain colors from artificial sources.
Mendes shared the above comparison of Froot Loops in the US versus Canada
Actress Eva Mendes took to Instagram last week to call on Kellogg’s to remove “harmful” food colors and additives from its cereals.
Red 40, yellows 5 and 6, and blue 1 are dyes used to give bright colors to cereals and other processed foods.
They have been theorized to exacerbate attention problems in children, prompting EU regulators to require product makers to say the dyes could cause “an adverse effect on children’s activity and attention.” .
TO 2021 report A California Environmental Protection Agency study also linked artificial dyes to “hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems” in some children, particularly those with ADHD or other existing behavioral disorders.
Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 also contain benzidene, a permitted human and animal carcinogen at low levels.
According to the FDA, ingestion of free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the threshold of “concern,” or one cancer per million people.
BHT, on the other hand, is an additive used to keep foods fresh. It can also be found in beauty products such as lip glosses and lotions, as well as chewing gum.
Research on BHT is mixed, although some studies have suggested that long-term exposure causes liver and thyroid problems in mice by disrupting hormones.
Several states have taken steps to ban or restrict these additives. Earlier this year, California became the first state to ban schools from serving foods containing red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, blue 6 and green 3.
In March, New York state officials called for the elimination of red dye number 3, propylparaben, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide and BHA.