LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Greater than 1,000 folks, together with docs, meals activists, nutritionists, and State Rep. Brad Paquette (R-37), are anticipated to rally in Battle Creek on Tuesday to ship a petition with over 380,000 signatures calling for Kellogg’s to take away synthetic dyes and preservatives from their American cereals.
The occasion will start at 10:30 a.m. in Friendship Park, and the demonstrators will stroll to Kellogg’s HQ to ship the petition at midday.
Organizer Vani Hari, a meals blogger behind an identical 361,000-signature petition that got here earlier than the removing of synthetic dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, says that the corporate didn’t comply with via with a promise to discontinue the usage of synthetic elements by 2018.
“In 2015, Kellogg’s announced plans to remove artificial colors and artificial flavors from their cereals by the end of 2018,” writes Hari on the petition web page of her weblog. “It’s now 2024 and Kellogg’s still sells several cereals with artificial colors and flavors in America, all of which target young children. Even worse, Kellogg’s continues launching NEW cereals for children filled with artificial ingredients, such as Minecraft Frosted Flakes and Disney’s Little Mermaid Cereal.”
Hari beforehand testified on the hazards of the substitute elements utilized in American variations of Kellogg’s cereals at a Senate Roundtable referred to as “American Well being and Diet: A Second Opinion in September. There, she spoke in regards to the variations between American and overseas variations of Kellogg’s cereal.
Vani Hari speaks on the Senate Roundtable “American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion” on Sept. 23, 2024 (Lydia Emrich)
“This field of Froot Loops is from Canada. It is coloured naturally with watermelon, blueberry and carrot juice,” Hari said. “That is the U.S. model. It incorporates 4 totally different synthetic meals dyes with the preservative BHT, which is an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to most cancers.”
Occasion organizers say that Kellogg’s makes use of elements in its American cereals which can be both banned or restricted in different nations— and that Kellogg’s both reformulates its cereals bought overseas to make use of different elements or sells these merchandise with a warning label.
Froot Loops bought within the U.S. comprise petroleum-based dyes Purple 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, in keeping with the official product web site. These dyes have been discovered to be carcinogenic, in keeping with a research from the Nationwide Institute of Well being. That very same research discovered that Blue 1, additionally a Froot Loops ingredient, causes hypersensitivity reactions—allergic reactions.
BHT, one other Froot Loops ingredient protesters are calling for Kellogg’s to take away, was discovered by the European Public Well being Fee to disrupt the endocrine system when utilized in mouthwash or different topical merchandise at concentrations of 0.8 % and decrease.
Protest organizers say that if Kellogg’s could make variations of their merchandise that do not comprise these elements on the market in Europe, they need to have the ability to make them in america as nicely.
“The absurd question we should all be asking is: Why shouldn’t American children receive the safest versions of products that Kellogg already makes?” says Jason H. Karp, CEO of well being and sustainability firm HumanCo.
Nonetheless, in an electronic mail to six Information, the corporate maintains that each one of its merchandise are protected for consumption, and are compliant with “all applicable laws and regulations,” and that “more than 85 percent” of its cereals comprise “no colors from artificial sources.”
(AP Picture/Richard Drew, File)
When requested by 6 Information to offer a press release on the occasion organizers’ allegations that they did not comply with via with a promise to eradicate the usage of synthetic dyes, the corporate supplied the next assertion:
The standard and security of our meals is our high precedence. Our merchandise – and the elements we use to make them – are compliant with all relevant related legal guidelines and laws and we stay dedicated to transparently labeling our elements so customers can simply make selections in regards to the meals they buy.
Right now, greater than 85 % of the cereal we promote incorporates no colours from synthetic sources. Actually, we repeatedly innovate new cereals that don’t comprise colours from synthetic sources throughout our greatest manufacturers, providing a broad alternative of nourishing meals for our customers. This method is in step with our dedication to fulfill evolving client preferences.
At WK Kellogg Co, we imagine within the optimistic influence our meals have on general well being and we proceed to evolve our portfolio to offer optimistic vitamins. Based on Dietary Pointers for Individuals 2020-2025, many customers are falling quick on fiber, iron, folate or Vitamin D.
-All of our cereals comprise a very good supply of at the very least one in every of these shortfall vitamins together with fiber, iron, folate and Vitamin D.
-Greater than 70% of our cereal recipes comprise at the very least 8g of entire grain.
-Moreover, greater than 140 of our choices are a very good supply of fiber.
For added data, please go to https://www.wkkellogg.com/en-us/our-impact/make-eating-well-easy/quality-safety.html.
Thanks,
WK Kellogg Co Media Hotline
Full E-mail to six Information from WK Kellogg Co. Media Hotline, Oct. 14, 2024.
