Not so grrrrrrrreat! Minister rejects ‘nanny-state’ calls to BAN cartoon characters on the front of sugary cereals packaged up to 40g… so how much is in YOUR child’s favourite?

Calls to ban cereal and yogurt manufacturers from sticking cartoon characters to the side of boxes were rejected today.

Influential experts want companies to use plain packaging for sugar-laden breakfast cereals and yogurt.

Products packaged with up to four teaspoons of sugar are designed to appeal to children through the use of characters, animations and bright colors, obesity campaigners say.

Some companies even use superheroes like Spider-Man and Disney favorites like Stitch to entice kids.

But Health Secretary Will Quince labeled Action on Sugar’s proposal an “intervention by the nanny state” and said plain packaging would be a “step too far.”

He told Times Radio: ‘It’s one of those things where it has to be done in moderation. Yes, I give my kids that cereal, but not every day.

“And what we really need to do, and I think the companies that make these products need to do, is help educate parents about what’s really in their products and make sure it’s a treat and not an everyday product that they should must do. to consume.

“But that should be very much up to the parent to make that decision.”

Mr Quince added: ‘I am not in favor of that kind of intervention from the nanny because as a parent it is my responsibility to teach my child what is and isn’t suitable for daily consumption and as a treat.

“I love Krave cereal as much as the next person… it’s very tasty, but would I have it every day?” No, because I know the implications of that. I want to educate my children about that.

“So what it means is we need to empower people to make healthier life choices.

“And that means putting information like calories and sugar content and salt content on the front and center of the packages that are already there.” But if we need to go further, we can look at that, but I think regular packaging is definitely a step too far.’

Research by Action on Sugar, based at Queen Mary University in London, compared breakfast cereals and yoghurts offered by different companies in the UK.

It found that 47 percent of breakfast cereals and 65 percent of yogurt contained one-third of the recommended daily maximum sugar intake for a four- to six-year-old, not including the milk.

Health officials advise 4- to 6-year-olds to consume no more than 19 g of added sugar per day, which is equivalent to 5 teaspoons. These are sugars added to food or drink, rather than naturally occurring sugars.

However, the Lidl Crownfield Choco Hazelnut Pillows cereal contains 28.5 g of sugars per 100 g, equivalent to 8.6 g of sugar or 2 teaspoons per serving.

However, a MailOnline audit of more than 200 grains sold in supermarkets revealed that the worst offender had even more.

Malt O Meal Marshmallow Mateys sold at Sainsbury’s contains 41g per 100g – more than two Lotus Biscoff Krispy Kreme donuts.

For comparison, a small McDonald’s chocolate milkshake has 27 g.

from Kellogg Frosties Cereal (37g) and Crunchy Nut (35g) contain more sugar than half a pack of ‘choc chip’ Maryland cookies (31g).

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Salted Caramel (32g) and Crunchy Nut Chocolate Clusters (30g) are the second highest sugar breakfast cereal for kids.

Adding 125 ml of whole milk can add about 7 g of sugar on average. Milk does not count as added sugar.

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chair of Action on Sugar, said: ‘Obesity is estimated to cost the UK £58 billion a year, having a huge impact on economic productivity and the NHS.

‘Drastic changes are needed in the food system and that includes responsible marketing of food and drink, especially for children.’

In terms of yogurt, Action on Sugar’s analysis found that Nestlé Smarties Vanilla contained 14.6g of sugars per 100g, equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Dr. Kawther Hashem, campaign manager at Action on Sugar, said: ‘It is ridiculous that while breakfast cereals and yoghurts celebrate the biggest reductions in sugars during the Sugar Reduction Program, those same products with child-friendly packaging still contain excessive amounts of sugars. for regular intake by children.

“Given the rising number of under-18s with weight-related health problems and tooth decay as the leading cause of childhood hospitalization, now is the time for companies to be forced to remove child-friendly packaging from products that mislead parents and leave our children unhealthy and sick. ‘

Action on Sugar wants companies to remove cartoon characters, animations and vibrant colors from foods classified as high or medium in sugar, salt or saturated fat, based on the Department of Health’s dietary guidelines.

Christopher Snowdon, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, told MailOnline: “The government is right to give this policy the thumbs down. Something similar was tried in Chile a few years ago, without success.

“We’ve heard enough about Action on Sugar for a lifetime. None of their anti-obesity policies have worked anywhere.”

A spokesperson for Kellogg’s said: “We offer a wide variety of cereals to meet the needs of our customers, whether that’s a delicious cereal for a treat or a reduced-sugar family cereal. We understand that we have a role in helping people make healthier choices. That’s why since 2011 we’ve reduced the sugar in all our breakfast cereals by 18% and the salt content by 23%.

For those wanting a lower sugar option, many of our breakfast cereals, including corn flakes, rice krispies, coconut pops, and Special K Original, are classified as non-high in fat, salt, and sugar (non-HFSS) under the United States’ own dietary reference standards. government . Four of our top five selling breakfast cereals are non-HFSS.”

MailOnline has approached Sainsbury’s for comment.

MailOnline’s analysis was based on nutritional information pulled from websites in August 2023.