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Healthy Difference on 'Today's THV at 5': Kellogg's Immunity Claims
It's found on certain Kellogg's cereal boxes in big red letters,"Helps support your child's immunity." The claim has some food policy analysts and lawmakers crying foul.
For instance, Kellogg's claims that there are added vitamins in their Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies cereal and that they can boost a child's immune system.
The city of San Francisco sent a letter to Kellogg and the Food and Drug Administration requesting evidence of the immunity claims; suggesting the company may have misled parents at a time when they are increasingly worried about the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Kelly Brownell with Yale University's Rudd Center on Food Policy and Obesity says, "It simply defies logic to think that spraying on some vitamins and minerals to a cereal that's otherwise almost 40% of it's weight in sugar makes a healthy product, just doesnt add up."
Kellogg contends that by increasing the amount of vitamins a, c and e from 10 to 25%, the cereal *does* promote good health.
In a statement the company says: "These nutrients have been identified by the institute of medicine and other studies as playing an important role in the body's immune system. Therefore, we believe the claim is supported by reliable and competent scientific evidence."
One additional note, in response to the allegation that Kellogg's is praying on parents' H1N1 fears; the company says it began developing this line of cereals more than a year ago; obviously, before we heard the term H1N1 and that the cereals have been on store shelves since May.