Major Brands taking responsibility on behalf of consumers

23/08/2011

Pic credit- JustFoods.co.uk

Over the past year we have seen several brands making moves to act responsibly on behalf of their consumers. Our team at Responsible research applaud these kinds of initiatives which reflect our own calls for brand owners and retail own label products to act responsibly on behalf of their customers .. because it is the right thing to do and because consumers left entirely to their own devices are going to be slow to move.

Of course from the brands point of view the changes in legislation and advertising food products to kids has started to mean that products have to be re-formulated if they are to have any chance of being promoted to their target audience.

The latest to make such a move is Kelloggs who launch their MINI MAX kids cereal in the UK.

Mini Max was developed to provide a cereal mums would feel better about and kids would enjoy. It is low in saturated fat and high in fibre as well as being a source of vitamins D and B. This also allows the product to be advertised on children's TV! Perhaps a significant driver for product development in it's own right in these days of greater restriction on food promotion to kids?

At the same time Kelloggs continues to reduce the sugar content in Coco-Pops and Frosties products.

Kelloggs joins Unilever; Nestle and Cadbury's Krafts who are all driving down the level of sugars in their standard brands.

With changing consumer attitudes and pressure on parents to have a greater influence over their children's diet it is surely a good thing that major brands are developing products in this area. This is after all the first new kids cereal to hit the shelves in more than twenty years and a healthy one to boot. What will the kids think?