Breakfast cereals

• 392 products were listed for this study

• In 2021, breakfast cereals for children still contain more sugars than breakfast cereals for adults

• Granola cereals have higher levels of saturated fat than other cereals

The results of this follow-up of breakfast cereals show little change in the food supply over the past five years. The most notable change is an increase in the average fat and saturated fat content, which may be attributable to the increased availability of granola-type cereals. Finally, children’s and family cereals still account for one-fifth of the product offering, but now account for almost half of the market share. Children’s and family cereals are higher in sugar and sodium and lower in fibre and protein than cereals for adults.

• 331 products were listed for this study
• 16 g of sugars in cereals whose packaging targets children
• 10 g of sugars in cereals intended for the general population

The results of this study illustrate a high degree of variability in the nutritional composition across different product types. In addition, classification based on the information on the package allows the analyzis of the results from another angle. In fact, areas of improvement are identified, such as for cereals intended for children, whose sugar content is significantly higher than cereals intended for the general population. Finally, changes in sales volumes affect the contribution to the actual nutritional intakes, depending on the type of cereal and the information available on the packaging.