Kelloggs RSS Feed

Kellogg's sow the seeds of change

15/03/2010 00:00:00

Kellogg’s and charity Seeds for Africa have teamed up to develop sustainable agriculture projects to provide food for deprived communities in Malawi and Kenya.

The charity tie-in will run from April – June on 25 million packs of Kellogg’s Cornflakes, Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and Kellogg’s Frosties.

The cereal company is providing schools and community groups with the tools, seeds and training they require to start their own gardens. Seeds for Africa will deliver advice on water management and land preparation; ensuring local people have the skills needed to produce nutritious food which is secure, reliable and assured for the future.

The projects will grow crops like maize, an essential staple for malnourished children in Africa, before developing fruit and vegetable gardens.

Margaret Ikiara who coordinates the project for Seeds for Africa in East Kenya said: “We’re using the donation from Kellogg’s to develop a new project in Tigania, an area affected by unreliable rains. The area is very dry so we’re installing a water tank to help the local people conserve any rain they do have so they can use it for irrigation. We’re also providing a special organic fertilizer to help the farmers plant their maize. The project will make food more plentiful, diets will improve and we will be able to change the lives of many families.”

Bruce Learner, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Kellogg’s, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Seeds for Africa as we know the direct work they carry out makes a big difference to so many lives. The whole business is getting behind the charity - a variety of employee fundraising activities have been organised and we’re working with a local school to grow our own corn at the Kellogg’s head office in Manchester.”

Kellogg’s has a long and proud heritage of supporting community projects in the UK, with a strong theme of promoting healthy, active lifestyles. We’re passionate about swimming and have worked in partnership with British Swimming since 1996 on a ‘grassroots to gold medals’ programme of swimming. We have also worked in partnership with learning charity ContinYou to develop and support breakfast clubs in schools, helping children get the best start to their day.

-Ends-

Kellogg's reduces salt across its iconic brands

28/01/2010 00:00:00

The Kellogg Company today announced a major reduction in the amount of salt in its most popular breakfast cereals and snacks.

The food giant is reducing the amount of salt in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes by 30 percent.

This move will decrease Britain’s annual salt intake by approximately 300 tonnes, as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies are also the basis for Kellogg’s’ other big-selling brands such as Crunchy Nut, Frosties, Coco Pops and Rice Krispies Squares.

None of the company’s most popular cereals will now be classed as ‘red’ (high) for salt using the Food Standard’s Agencies Traffic Light food labelling scheme.

Head of nutrition at Kellogg’s, Alyson Greenhalgh-Ball, said: “For the past 12 years we’ve been listening to our shoppers and taken down the amount of salt in our food. We’ve been doing this slowly so we take people’s palates with us and so they don’t notice any difference in taste. Since 1998 we’ve taken over 45% of salt out of our cereals.”

No salt replacers are being used. For Kellogg’s Rice Krispies-based foods the salt has been replaced by rice and for the Corn Flakes-based foods more corn has been added, and nothing else. This has a negligible impact on total calories and other nutrients for each product.

The new recipe Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (and its associated products) are already in stores and the reformulated Kellogg’s Corn Flakes will be in market from March.

Alyson concluded: “In spite of breakfast cereals only accounting for 2.8 per cent of the salt purchased in the nation’s shopping baskets[1], we hope this move shows people we are serious about reducing salt.”

ENDS

[1] TNS Worldpanel, 2009

Top athletes take time out to help stars of the future reach Olympic Gold

25/01/2010 00:00:00

Four of Britain’s top aquatic athletes are taking time out of their hectic training schedules to help mentor the Olympic stars of the future. Cassie Patten, Nick Robinson-Baker, Olivia Allison and Sam Hynd, collectively known as Team Kellogg’s, will mentor a group of young people from across the UK as they aim to emulate their heroes and reach the podium at future world sporting events.

The ‘Kellogg’s Champions of tomorrow’ scheme is part of Kellogg’s ongoing commitment to British Swimming and aims to help inspire young swimming stars as they rise through the ranks of swimming. Sixteen young people have been chosen by the British Swimming Talent Identification team - each child will be mentored for six months as well as receiving a grant to help fund training, kit and competition entry.

Olympic Bronze medallist Cassie Patten said: “I’m really excited about mentoring my group. So many kids drop out of sport when they’re in their early teens so I think it’s really important to help them along and inspire them to keep going, no matter how hard it gets. Swimming has given me so much so if I can help these kids on their path to success by giving them my time and advice, that makes me feel really proud.”

Chief Executive of British Swimming David Sparkes,said: “Every promising young swimmer dreams of making it to an Olympics or Paralympics but when you’re training in your local pool day in day out it can sometimes seem like an unachievable dream. All of the Team Kellogg’s athletes have been there and their experience and support will only help to inspire those they are mentoring. I’m delighted our current stars are helping to develop the athletes of the future so Britain can have the kind of talent that can compete and beat the best in the world.”

Aside from developing Britain’s elite prospects, Kellogg’s supports swimming at a local level through the Kellogg’s Swim Active initiative. Swim Active aims to increase accessibility and support for swimming in the hardest to reach communities. Projects include closed sessions for children with weight issues, special sessions for over 60’s and provision of specialist teaching for children with disabilities.

-Ends-

Each athlete is available for interview and photographers are welcome to attend the sessions on the following dates:

Nick Robinson Baker – Saturday 23^rdJanuary, Ponds Forge, Sheffield

Olivia Allison – Sunday 24^thJanuary, Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre

Cassie Patten –, Sunday 31^st January (tbc), Stockport Metro

Sam Hynd – End of February, Swansea.

Please contact Kate Hannah on 0161 869 5035 / 07812 355441 or email kate.hannah@kellogg.com to discuss further.

Hazel Blears MP sends Salford School to the top of the class at breakfast club launch

22/01/2010 00:00:00

The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP joined the children of St Boniface RC Primary School in Salford this morning (Friday 22^nd January) to launch the school’s new breakfast club. Established with the help and support of Kellogg’s and leading learning organisation ContinYou, Mrs Blears joined the children for breakfast and presented a certificate of congratulations in recognition of the new club.

Gisella Steedman, Acting Deputy Head, set up the breakfast club after she attended the North West Breakfast Club Master class, run by ContinYou in December at Kellogg’s head office in Trafford. Commenting after receiving the certificate on behalf of the school, Mrs Steedman said; “We wanted to provide our children with the best start to their school day so after careful consultation with parents we decided we needed a breakfast club so the children could have a healthy breakfast in a caring and fun environment. When we were offered a start up grant from Kellogg’s and ContinYou, a smoothie maker from Wiseman Dairies and the chance to learn how to set up the club, we jumped at the chance.”

The opening of this club in Salford is part of Kellogg’s commitment to the government’s Change4life initiative. One in six UK children go to school each day without eating breakfast so Kellogg’s has been working with ContinYou since 1998 to help solve this problem by developing and supporting breakfast clubs in the UK.

Hazel Blears MP was only too glad to lend her support; “It is great to be here today and see first hand what a vital role these clubs play in our community. I hope this encourages and inspires other schools in the area to set up breakfast clubs of their own. Breakfast clubs are about so much more than just eating breakfast, they provide informal learning environments and can play a really positive role in improving pupils’ attendance”.

Tony Apicella, ContinYou's National Programme Director said, "The Master Class Grant Programme offers schools a 'kick start' in establishing a new breakfast club provision. In turn, the clubs support the needs of local children, young people and families and adds value to the everyday lives of those who attend."

Bruce Learner, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Kellogg’s said: ““Our aim is to ensure children in the 500 most deprived areas of the UK have access to a breakfast club by 2013. We are not providing cereals for this breakfast club; the breakfast menu is decided by the school. We simply want to promote “breakfast culture”; making time to eat breakfast in a safe, warm and stimulating environment.”

Wiseman Dairies have teamed up with Kellogg’s and Continyou to provide each new breakfast club with a Wiseman smoothie maker.

-Ends-

For more information please contact Kate Hannah on 0161 869 5035 / 07812 355441.

Kellogg Comany supports Haiti earthquake relief effort

14/01/2010 00:00:00

Kellogg Company today announced a $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross to assist with earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. The contribution is being made by Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund, the charitable arm of Kellogg Company.

“This disaster has devastated what is already one of the poorest countries in the world,” said Dr. Celeste Clark, senior vice president of corporate affairs, Kellogg Company. “The situation for the people of Haiti is dire, and we believe it is critical for us to provide support to relief efforts.”

For the past year, Kellogg has partnered with a humanitarian organization to provide food in Haiti. Kellogg will work with this organization and others involved in relief efforts to continue to provide food products.

Cash rewards for Britain's best breakfast clubs

07/01/2010 00:00:00

Today, Kellogg’s and community learning organisation ContinYou start the search to find the UK’s best breakfast clubs, with a total prize fund of £15,500.

The Breakfast Club Plus Awards recognise those clubs who help ensure thousands of children across the country get the best possible start to their day. They reward those who demonstrate excellence in health and nutrition as well as community involvement and extra learning opportunities.

This year, there are four country awards (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), each with a prize of £1500 for winners, £750 for the runner up and £200 for five highly commended clubs.

The search is also on for the 'Breakfast Club Champion': that special person whose work has supported the success of a breakfast club. It could be a parent volunteer that helps out every day or the member of staff that set the club up. The winning champion will receive £2,000 and the runner up will receive £500.

The awards also recognise a local authority whose strategic work has made its mark in the sustainable development of breakfast clubs in the area that it serves.

Bruce Learner, Community and Social Responsibility Manager at Kellogg’s, comments: “For many people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day but some families are pushed for time in the mornings. This is where breakfast clubs can help. The idea behind the awards is to highlight the enormous and varied benefits of breakfast clubs which include punctuality, attendance and concentration plus enhanced relationships between children and teachers.”

Le Cateau Primary School in Catterick Garrison was recognised as the best breakfast club in England last year. 85% of the pupils at the school have one or both parents in the military with many currently serving in Afghanistan. Not only do the children at the breakfast club get the chance to start their day with a nutritious breakfast and twenty minutes exercise, they also get the opportunity to send E-Blueys to their family.

“E-Blueys are emails which are printed as letters by a terminal in the Operational Area overseas,” explained Mrs Margaret Merrall, Deputy Head at the school. “Having this facility available at breakfast club gives the children the opportunity and time to communicate with parents that are away.”

The three staff members all have family with military experience so the children can talk through any concerns they may have regarding their serving parents. "We were thrilled at winning the award for best breakfast club in England.” Mrs Merrall continued. “We decided to the spend the money on a laptop so more children can send e-blueys as well as some skipping ropes, frisbees and hoops to enhance the 20 minute exercise slot every morning. We recently organised a ‘French breakfast’ and invited parents to join us for baguettes, brioche, croissants and French cheeses.”

Tony Apicella, ContinYou's National Programme Director comments, 'Le Cateau Primary School epitomises the good practice we find in breakfast clubs all over the UK. These clubs are an inspiration to schools and communities everywhere and emphasise the contribution they make to individuals and family life.'

Last year, Kellogg’s invested £340,000 to work towards ensuring children in the 500 most deprived areas of the UK have access to a breakfast club. This is part of the Kellogg commitment to the government’s Change4life initiative.

To enter the awards simply log on to www.breakfastclubplus.org.uk and download an application form. The closing date is Friday 12^th February 2010.

KELLOGG’S EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE CHRISTMAS WINDFALL

14/12/2009 00:00:00

KELLOGG’S EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE CHRISTMAS WINDFALL

Cereal giant dishes out over £1m in bonuses to help workers cover the cost of the festive season

FOOD giant Kellogg’s is covering the cost of Christmas for its non-executive UK workers this year with an extra week’s pay in their December wage packet.

Today its 1,600 office and factory based employees will wake up to an early Christmas present with their Kellogg’s cornflakes this morning with an average bonus of £683.

Research shows the cost of Christmas for the average family household in the UK this year will be £500*.

The 53rd Week’s pay scheme at Manchester-based Kellogg’s has been running for over 25 years and despite challenging economic conditions this year will see the average payout increase.

Karen Meehan, Kellogg’s VP of human resources, said: “When so many companies are making cutbacks it’s great that we are able to pay out this bonus to our employees again this year and help them with the cost of Christmas – some of whom may be impacted by family members affected by the recession.”

*Research by ASDA

- Ends –

For further information contact:

Louise Davies

Assistant Communications Manager

Kellogg’s

0161 869 2942

Out of Hours Number = 07786 225365

Notes to Editors:

The 53^rd week payment is paid out to non-executive employees who joined the Kellogg’s company before December. It is one of many rewards and benefits introduced by Kellogg’s for employees which also includes flexible working and summer hours.

About Kellogg’s:

The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies Squares and Special K snacks.

Kellogg’s is committed to helping families get active through its sponsorship of the Swim Active programme and its partnership with ContinYou has provided a network of breakfast clubs across the UK.

Kellogg's recalls Chocoastic Pop Tarts

20/11/2009 00:00:00

Kellogg’s has today announced it is recalling all of its Chocotastic Pop Tarts in the UK with a best before date of 30^th June 2010.

This follows a small number of complaints from shoppers about a very low level of mould found in a small, isolated batch of some of its Chocotastic Pop Tarts which affects the quality of the product.

Shoppers who have Chocotastic Pop Tarts with a best before date of 30^th June 2010 should send the pack top with date code to FREEPOST, Kellogg’s Pop Tarts, WA1521, Warrington, WA4 6GP to be reimbursed.

All relevant food standards authorities have been informed.

Kellogg’s would like to assure people no other of its cereals or snacks (including Strawberry Sensation Pop Tarts) are affected.

Anyone wanting further information should contact Kellogg’s on its freephone careline 00800 9090 6060 or log onto www.kelloggs.co.uk.

ENDS

Kellogg’s gives its Nutri-grain portfolio a facelift to create two distinct brands

28/10/2009 00:00:00

Kellogg's is overhauling its Nutri-Grain range to create two distinct brands.

From January, the Nutri-Grain branding is being removed from the Elevenses range of baked snacks to create a new standalone sub-brand, which will be called, simply, Kellogg’s Elevenses.

Kellogg’s Elevenses will target an audience of 30 to 50-year old women who love to enjoy that moment in the day when you take time to unwind, recharge and have a comforting snack with a cup of tea.

Packaging across the five-strong range will be revamped with a new purple clock motif.

The range will incorporate Oat Baked Bars and Soft Oaties from the current Nutri-Grain range alongside the existing Elevenses bakes. The pair will be renamed Golden Oat Bakes and Oat Cookies Choc Chip, respectively.

Meanwhile, soft baked bars will be the only products left in the Nutri-Grain range, which will be renamed Nutri-Grain Morning Bars and positioned as a snack solution to a missed breakfast.

A Kellogg’s spokesperson said: “Nutri-Grain is the largest cereal snacks brand in the UK. In 2005 the combined Nutri-Grain brand was worth £30m in sales and in the last three years we have added just under £12m to this figure, which is an amazing result.

“However in order to look forward at how we can continue this sort of growth we did some consumer research into the whole Nutri-Grain brand and uncovered two massive opportunities that the brand could uniquely pursue.

“The Nutri Grain Soft Bake range will fulfil a missed breakfast function – our insight revealed this is still massively significant in the UK - and the new Kellogg’s Elevenses range will incorporate the current Elevenses cake range, Oat Baked bars and Soft Oatie cookies. These which will be positioned as a taste lead brand for the mid am/pm treat occasion. We feel we now have two brands with a much sharper positioning.”

The de-brand will be supported by a £3m marketing push covering both Nutri-Grain Soft Bakes and the new Elevenses range.

Kellogg's' response to Channel 4's Dispatches

27/10/2009 00:00:00

We have nothing to hide. So, here’s all the information we provided to Channel 4's Dispatches to help them make their programme.

PRESS STATEMENT

We think people should look to the facts and beyond they hype. Research shows people who eat breakfast cereals, regardless of their sugar content, tend to be slimmer than those that don’t. The criticisms also ignore the fact that 40% of children’s calcium intake comes from their daily bowl of cereals and cereals are the main source of iron and B vitamins in the nation’s diet. At around only 170 calories a bowl – they’re also a low-cal start to the day.

Given all of the above – and the fact that one in five children skip breakfast and spend almost £650m a year on a corner-shop breakfast of crisps and sweets – we think our products could be part of the solution rather than the problem. We think shoppers understand this which is why they’ve bought our foods, of which we are hugely proud, for over 100 years.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

OPTIVITA

We only make a health claim when we can back it up with solid science and to say otherwise is misleading.

There’s established independent scientific evidence stretching back 50 years showing the benefit of oat beta glucan found in Kellogg’s Optivita on lowering cholesterol (there are hundreds of studies but I have attached five for your info).

Optivita has a 30 per cent more oat beta glucan in each serving than the UK authorities decided was necessary to make a cholesterol lowering claim. What’s more, we test our cereal to ensure that active ingredient is in our food and does the job it’s supposed to. There is the same level of oat beta glucan in a bowl of Optivita as there is in a bowl of porridge.

On top of that, Optivita is low in saturated fat and salt and a serving has the equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar– less than a fruit yoghurt or smoothie and roughly the same as people use to sweeten their porridge.

It’s for all these reasons last year that HEART UK decided to endorse this brand. We give HEART UK £60k per year – which represents less than 0.01% of our overall annual advertising budget.

GDA LABELLING

Every pack of Kellogg’s’ cereals carries guideline daily amount (GDA) labelling to help shoppers see exactly how many calories and how much salt, fat and sugar is in our food – in a serving.

If labels are to help shoppers make informed choices they need to be based on what people actually eat in a serving. That’s why we use GDA’s, not traffic lights, which judge a food based on 100g portion. We know people eat cereals in 30g portions that’s less than a third of the 100g the FSA use to judge a food.

SUGAR & SALT IN OUR FAMILY CEREALS

The reality is a single serving of Frosties or Coco Pops has the same amount of sugar in it as glass of orange juice or a banana. While a bowl of Rice Krispies gives you less than a tenth of your daily allowance for salt, less salt than you’d find in one slice of dry wholemeal bread.

Science shows that people who eat breakfast cereals – regardless of the sugar content – tend to be slimmer than those who don’t.[1] Research has also recently revealed that British kids are spending almost £650m a year on a corner shop breakfast of crisps, chocolate bars and meat snacks on the way to school.[2]

ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN

In 2007 we announced strict, self-imposed guidelines on how we market our products. This included an end to marketing to children over the internet and a move to family-focussed promotions - we received a lot praise for the changes. Our advertising is aimed mums and dads not children. It’s aired during adult or family programming when parents are around and can exert their influence.

SWIMMING AND SCHOOLS

You also asked about our association with swimming and the ASA and asked if we were involved in any schools activites. I think the link - http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson/breakfastclub/breakfast-clubs/ - tells you all you need to know about our 10 year history of working with charity ContinYou supporting breakfast clubs. However, it’s probably worth noting that none of the breakfast clubs supported by our scheme is required to serve our cereals (food choices are entirely up to the people who run the breakfast club) and none of them are branded.

Earlier this year, Kellogg’s announced a £340,000 investment in developing and supporting breakfast clubs in the UK. The announcement was welcomed by Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, who said, “This is a great example of how companies can get involved in Change4Life and help children to eat well. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – Breakfast4Life will give children who might not have ordinarily got it, a chance to start the day in a healthy way.”

Pam Boyd, ContinYou’s Interim CEO, stated, ‘We are delighted that in supporting the Government’s Change4Life (Breakfast4Life) campaign with our longstanding corporate partner, Kellogg's, we will be able to further develop the 'breakfast culture' which we truly believe to be a vital part of everyday life that effectively prepares children, young people, family members and individuals to be ready to learn and work.’

In terms of our association with the ASA this link will tell you more - http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson/swimming/kelloggs-and-swimming/default.aspx .

David Sparkes, the Chief Executive of British Swimming and the ASA, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be continuing our very successful partnership with Kellogg’s. They have played an important part in our sport for many years, working with us to encourage, develop and reward swimmers of all ages and backgrounds. The pioneering work of the Swim Active initiative has helped us to bring our great sport of swimming to many that would not have had the chance to try and enjoy the water otherwise. The terrific on-going support from Kellogg’s will help us realise our aim of getting more people swimming, more often and having more fun.”

[1] DE LA HUNTY, A and ASHWELL, M Nutrition Bulletin, Vol 32, pp 119 - 129

[2] ‘Fags and Peperami, a look at the bad breakfast habits of Britain’, Kellogg Company September ‘09

British Swimming Team celebrate amateur achievements

16/10/2009 00:00:00

Stars of the British Swimming team have gathered today to celebrate swimming’s unsung heroes at the annual Kellogg’s ASA Swimtastic Awards.

The Kellogg’s ASA Swimtastic Awards are run by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and hosted by Olympic medallist and broadcaster Steve Parry. The Awards recognise the achievements of people of all ages and abilities that have achieved through the Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme.

National winners from ten categories, including young swimmer of the year, disability swimmer of the year, Lifesaver of the year and community project of the year have been recognised at a swimming gala and a formal awards ceremony.

The winners took to the pool at Stratford-upon-Avon Leisure Centre for a fun swimming gala with some of the country’s top aquatic stars. Olympic Bronze Medallist Cassie Patten, FINA World Diving Series champions Ben Swain and Nick Robinson-Baker, Olympic Synchro duet Olivia Allison and Jenna Randall and the Women’s Water Polo team, who became European B Champions earlier this year, shared their skills in the water.

Steve Parry said: “Swimtastic highlights the heart-warming, courageous and motivational stories of the swimming community up and down the country – it’s a brilliant way of recognising people that have achieved their personal goals in the pool.”

Bruce Learner from Kellogg’s added: “Our Swimtastic winners are so inspirational – Nine year old Jack Dudley who saved his younger brother Sam from drowning, Peggy Lomas who learned to swim when she was 65 and has since used the skills to raise thousands for local charities and the amazing Scott Hadley, who has overcome so much in short life including learning to swim after his right leg was amputated.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Ø Kellogg’s has supported swimming projects in the UK for 25 years and has been an official partner of the ASA since 1997; when it first sponsored the Kellogg’s ASA Swimming Awards Scheme

Ø More than 15 million swimming awards have been presented to youngsters, making the scheme the most successful awards scheme in British sport.

Ø Nationally, Kellogg’s is investing £3m over the next three years. This three-year commitment is designed to specifically promote the ongoing benefits of physical activity and break down any barriers people may have that prevent them from participating in swimming.

Kellogg's combats fake flakes

14/10/2009 00:00:00

Kellogg's has developed a hi-tech method to stamp out imitation cereals - by branding Corn Flakes with the company logo.

The new technology enables the firm - which makes 67 million boxes of Corn Flakes every year - to burn the famous signature onto individual flakes using lasers.

Kellogg's plan to produce a number of one-off trial batches of the branded flakes to test the system.

Bosses will then consider inserting a proportion of branded flakes into each box to guarantee the cereal's origins and protect against imitation products.

If the system is successful it could be used on Kellogg's other best-loved brands including Frosties, Special K, Crunchy Nut and Bran Flakes.

The laser uses a concentrated beam of light which focuses the energy within the beam, down to a very small spot on the Corn Flake.

Mirror galvanometers are then used to steer the beam creating multiple vectors that reflect the laser from different angles and ultimately make up the image.

The energy density within the laser spot diameter is sufficient enough to give the surface of the flake a darker, toasted appearance without changing the taste.

Kellogg's embarked on the project to reinforce that they don't make cereals for any other companies and to fire a shot across the bows of makers of 'fake flakes'.

Yesterday Helen Lyons, lead food technologist at the company, said: ''In recent years there has been an increase in the number of own brands trying to capitalise on the popularity of Kellogg's corn flakes.

''We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else.

''We're constantly looking at new ways to reaffirm this and giving our golden flakes of corn an official stamp of approval could be the answer.

''We've established that it is possible to apply a logo or image onto food, now we need to see if there is a way of repeating it on large quantities of our cereal. We're looking into it.''

The company also released figures which show sales of Kellogg's Corn Flakes have risen in 2009 as shoppers with limited budgets opt for recognised, reliable brands.

A staggering 128 billion bowls of Kellogg's Corn Flakes are eaten worldwide every year in countries as far afield as Guatemala, Japan, Argentina and India.

And an incredible 2.8 million bowls of Kellogg's Corn Flakes are eaten in the UK everyday - that's one billion a year.

The firm's Manchester factory is also the biggest Corn Flake production line in the world and churns out cereals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Kellogg's Corn Flakes were also the first cereal to land on the moon - as the breakfast of choice for the crew onboard Apollo 11

Kellogg's responds to Food Standards Agency's salt awareness campaign

05/10/2009 00:00:00

We support the salt awareness message – and put it on packs of our no added salt foods – but it’s wrong to say that breakfast cereals are big contributor to salt intakes. Cereals account for less than 3% of the salt we put in our shopping baskets every year – if you want to address public health there are more obvious foods to focus on.

A bowl of Rice Krispies gives you less than a tenth of your daily allowance for salt and over the next couple of months we’ll reduce that by a further 20%. We’ve been reducing salt in our cereals, by a total of 40%, for the last 10 years – that’s why we’re disappointed to be singled out in this campaign and, given that the FSA also say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we’d be even more disappointed if people were left wondering what they should serve for breakfast if toast and cereals were off the menu.

Optivita brings breakfast to Classic FM listeners

15/09/2009 00:00:00

Kellogg’s Optivita will talk directly to sufferers of high cholesterol as they tune in to their regular breakfast radio show. In a targeted step to communicate the cholesterol reducing benefits of the cereal, Optivita will sponsor the Classic FM Brighter Breakfast show.

The £80k sponsorship will include credits, competitions and digital advertising as part of the show which airs weekdays from 6am-8am. Classic FM boasts a listenership of over four million adults aged 50 and above, an age group typically synonymous with high cholesterol.

The 11 week sponsorship is a new approach from Kellogg’s but reflects the media consumption habits of the niche market being targeted. According to Classic FM, 59% of the Brighter Breakfast show listeners are light TV viewers, a traditional choice of media for Kellogg’s, whilst 68% do not listen to any other commercial radio station.

Said Irene Evans, Kellogg’s Optivita brand manager: “We’re delighted to be part of the Classic FM Brighter Breakfast show. This presents an ideal opportunity for us to talk directly to an age group that are seeking advice on foods that can help reduce their cholesterol without sacrificing taste and enjoyment.”

“We know Classic FM listeners feel part of a community and feel great kinship with the station and with fellow listeners. Lowering cholesterol levels is a challenge and so the support and trust that Classic FM listeners can give to one another will be invaluable.”

Aldo Zilli, the face of Kellogg’s Optivita, will feature in the communications which are to be co-created between Classic FM and JWT London and will also feature in an interview to talk first hand about the challenges of lowering cholesterol. The 11 week sponsorship will run from 14^thSeptember 2009.

For more information please contact Gareth Lucy at Kellogg’s on 0161 869 5083 or email gareth.lucy@kellogg.com

-ENDS-

Fags and peperami - the 21st century breakfast for British kids

02/09/2009 00:00:00

Shock report reveals kids spend £646 million on junk food before school

British kids are going to school on a so called junk food breakfast of Peperami and chocolate bars and parents admit they can’t do anything about it.

A shocking £646 million is being spent each year by sweet-toothed kids buying biscuits, cake and meat snacks on the way to school and almost one quarter of all 7-14 year olds have a junk food breakfast of this kind regularly.

While a staggering one in every class of 14 year olds say they go to school on a cigarette, according to a new landmark report published by Kellogg’s.

Worryingly, 14pc of children say they go into an off-licence to buy breakfast, rising to 24pc of 13-14 year olds.

A top nutritionist today warned this was storing up trouble for the class room, leading to loss of concentration and poor discipline.

Half a million kids eat biscuits for their morning meal, 160,000 have a bag of crisps and more than 100,000 just have a fizzy drink.

Fuelling the bad food binge, 16pc of kids say their parents hand over on average £2.22 each day so they can buy breakfast on the way to school, a figure which jumps to one in four 13-14 year olds.

The study of UK families revealed the extent to which parents know what kids are doing but do nothing about it. A third of children say their parents are aware of what they spend their dosh on and are fine with it.

Many parents are resigned to their kids’ bad diet habits. One in five admit their kids regularly scoff biscuits, cakes or sweets before school starts.

Of those who dole out breakfast money, a massive two thirds say it’s simply inevitable that this will be spent on unhealthy foods. This figure jumps to a disturbing three quarters of parents of children aged 13-14.

This is all despite the fact 62pc of parents have serious concerns about their child’s diet and 35pc are worried about their health.

As children in this report say, the solution lies with their parents. 85pc of kids say they’d kick the morning junk food habit if mums and dads turned off the money tap and gave them something to eat before they left home.

Public health nutritionist, Kathy Cowbrough, who was involved with the government’s Sure Start Centres, said: “How often have we all seen young children not wanting to cooperate with harassed parents, or school children unable to stay alert for valuable lessons at school?

“This is because missing a decent breakfast means we can be saying goodbye to up to a quarter of the nutrients and energy we need for the day, making us more tired, irritable and less able to concentrate in the morning.”

Rachel Fellows from Kellogg’s said, “Ask any parent and I think they’d agree, a biscuit or packet of crisps are okay snacks when part of a balanced diet but they’re not breakfast.

“This report shows parents are having a tough time but we know parents want to do the right thing but something’s stopping that happening. We all need to help parents find solutions – like open more breakfast clubs in schools - so each child can start the day with a decent meal in them.”

Jeremy Todd, chief executive of parent’s charity Parentline Plus, said: “Parentline Plus advises parents, where possible, to sit down with your children and ensure that your family eats a healthy breakfast. The time before school can be stressful for parents as they struggle to get themselves ready for work and their children ready for school.

“Many parents work shift patterns or face a long commute to work. Breakfast clubs and extended schools services may provide a safe place for children to enjoy a healthy breakfast and can be an ideal solution to balancing work and family life. With the right guidance, parents can prevent bad habits forming and establish a healthy lifestyle which can result in the whole family being more attentive and active both in the workplace and in school.”

Cardiff is the junk food brekkie capital of Britain - 34pc of kids (eight percent over the national average) say they scoff unhealthy food before school.

Southampton’s youngsters get top marks – they are the least likely to stuff themselves with bad food first thing, racking up a well below average of 12pc.

Young mums and dads – aged under 24 – were also more likely to hand out breakfast money with half – 49pc – saying they sometimes or often gave their children cash instead of feeding them.

When not buying brekkie from an off-licence, 69pc of kids buy their morning meal from a corner shop, 38pc from a supermarket and 8pc from a garage.

ENDS

Tasty new fruit and nut clusters from Special K and less than 3% fat

18/08/2009 00:00:00

SPECIAL K IS NUTS ABOUT SHAPE

Tasty new fruit and nut clusters from Special K and less than 3% fat

IT’S an unwritten rule. You’re watching your shape but surely that means you must stick to eating dull and tasteless food to succeed?

Wrong! New Special K Fruit & Nut clusters is a delicious combination of crisp Special K flakes, soft juicy raisins, cranberries and apple together with crunchy hazelnut clusters and is less than 3% fat.

Research shows one of the biggest barriers women face when watching their shape is becoming bored from the lack of variety in their diet and therefore straying off track.

Fruit & Nut clusters offers an exciting and moreish new variety of tastes and textures and is the first Special K to unite the classic combination of dried fruit and nuts.

It is the latest addition to our range which now has 10 varieties to choose from.

Priced at £2.89 for a 425g box, Special K Fruit and Nut Clusters is available at all major supermarkets.

For free personalised advice, tips and meal plans to help you stay in shape? Visit www.specialk.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

For further information please contact Louise Davies, Assistant Communications Manager, in the Kellogg’s Press Office on 0161 869 2942 or email louisej.davies@kellogg.com

Monroe not Moss - the hourglass replaces the 'perfect 10' as the benchmark for the ideal figure

22/07/2009 00:00:00

BRITISH women have become a nation of “apple and pears” and are desperate to get their waistlines back.

According to a new report a massive 60pc of British women say they are actually “fruit-shaped” apple and pears but over two thirds of the nation are desperate for the classic Marilyn Monroe-esque hourglass figure.

In a landmark study to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Kellogg’s Special K*, it was found the ultimate slimming goal for women is no longer being the “Perfect 10” but to get a curvy hourglass shape.

Whether you’re 25 or 55 the hourglass figure personified by the shapely Nigella Lawson today resolutely remains the body shape the majority of us aspire to, with just 7pc of us yearning for the boyish and shapeless body made famous by the likes of Twiggy in the sixties and Kate Moss in the nineties and the noughties.

With over 35pc of the nation’s women confessing they are apple-shaped – a shape characterized by an undefined waist – and just 13pc of us possessing an enviable hourglass figure - it seems shape not size is what matters most to women these days.

The research by Special K revealed women are taking their inspiration from curvy celebrities in the media too. While the sensuous hourglass curves of Nigella topped Special K’s inspiration index, Dame Helen Mirren was voted the second biggest “body booster” – becoming an inspiration to millions after being photographed in her bikini last year. While Dame Judi Dench came in third.

Key body shape boosters include seeing shapely women on TV rather than size zero models, curvy celebrities with hunky boyfriends (such as Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson), and older actresses such as Helen Mirren ‘baring all’ for nude scenes

Laura Bryant from Special K said: “The report shows that women’s attitudes to slimming over the last 50 years have changed with their figures. It seems British women have lost their waists but now they are demanding them back. They are more concerned about getting a curvy hourglass shape like their grandmothers instead of being the perfect size 10 which shows a marked shift in attitude from the 80’s and 90’s when success and failure when slimming was benchmarked against fitting into certain sized clothes.”

* Survey by Tickbox across 2,000 women across the UK.

British Celebrity inspiration index: Whose shape inspires us the most

1/ Nigella Lawson

2/ Dame Helen Mirren

3/ Dame Judi Dench

4/ Kate Winslet

5/ Julie Walters

6/ Martine McCutcheon

7/ Holly Willoughby

8/ Joanna Lumley

9/ Catherine Zeta-Jones

10/ Kirstie Allsopp

Notes to Editors:

For further information and images please contact Louise Davies in the Kellogg’s Press Office on 0161 869 2942/ 07766814204 or e-mail: louisej.davies@kellogg.com

Kids face a glummer summer as parents slash spending and work longer hours

15/07/2009 00:00:00

BRITISH parents are imposing a fun ban on their kids this summer, with trips to the zoo and Alton Towers axed over cash fears.

More than half (53%) of parents will be slashing spend on their children this summer according to a major new study released today by Kellogg’s.

Parents are set to spend 15% less on summer activities, a cut of £41 per child from last year’s figure of £283. Money is so tight that one-in-three parents say their children will spend more time indoors over the holidays this year.

Family trips to the zoo and theme parks have been badly hit, with four-in-ten planned excursions put on ice. Worryingly, parents are more likely to ditch family days out than cut back on computer games and satellite or cable TV subscriptions.

From the kids’ point of view, more than half fear that lack of money will impact on their summer holiday, and a fifth think the amount of quality family time they have experienced has reduced in the past year.

The Kellogg’s report found that a quarter of mums and dads are working longer hours than a year ago with a tenth less likely to see their kids before and after school. Four in ten working parents admitted that time spent with their kids has definitely reduced as a direct result of the recession, by on average two hours and 46 minutes.

Bruce Learner, spokesperson for Kellogg’s and Dad of two, said: “The summer holidays can be a tough time for families with six weeks to fill with fun activities. The research is worrying but there are lots of activities we can do as a family without breaking the bank. Whether you head to the seaside on a sunny day, or go for a kick about or picnic at the local park, making time for family fun is the most important thing.”

The research was conducted to help shape Kellogg’s thinking when deciding its 2010 on-pack promotions. These have often centred on family activity – the first being a pioneering promotion with British Rail in the 80s offering free tickets for children, the most recent being last year’s Free Swim promotion which saw one million people claiming a free swim.

In response to the survey Kellogg’s has created a parent’s pledge on its website (www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson) which gives cash-strapped parents the top ten summer holiday activities that won’t break the bank (see editors’ notes).

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

Make the most of the great outdoors this summer and pledge to have fun with your family with this Top Ten:

Go to the seaside – collect shells, write in the sand and jump the waves!
Make a den in the woods
Head to your local park for a kick about and a picnic
Get on your bike and burn some energy – pick a new route with the Kellogg’s cycle path planner
Take advantage of the government’s free swimming scheme – it’s free for under 16’s and over 60’s so go with your grandparents!
Visit the Krispies Kitchen and follow the yummy recipes
Play hide and seek with your friends
Host a sleepover
Plant sunflower seeds and have a growing competition with your brothers and sisters!
Create a collage using your favourite cereal – add dried fruit for texture and colour

Free Kellogg's Corn Flakes and a pint of milk

01/07/2009 00:00:00

Kellogg’s is offering shoppers unlimited free Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and milk from July until the end of September.

The on-pack promotion will run on 12 million packs of Kellogg’s biggest brands including Coco Pops, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosties, and Bran Flakes.

Shoppers can collect three unique codes from participating packs, enter them online at www.kelloggs.co.uk/rewards and print off their voucher for a free 500g box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and a pint of semi-skimmed milk.

There is no limit to the number of times shoppers can repeat this redemption and all large supermarket chains will accept the vouchers.

The free pint of milk will be the participating supermarkets own brand and all unique codes collected will be valid for 12 months.

The free Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and milk promotion follows Kellogg’s ‘Free Cereal’ promotion which has been running since the beginning of April and has so for enabled 41,000 UK cereal fans to claim a free box of Kellogg’s cereal.

Any unique codes collected from Kellogg’s ‘Free Cereal’ promotion that shoppers are yet to redeem will remain valid for this new promotion.

A Kellogg’s spokesperson said: “This is our way of thanking our loyal customers for choosing Kellogg’s.”

-ENDS-

Participating packs: 750g Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, 750g Kellogg’s Frosties, 800g Kellogg’s Coco Pops, 600g Kellogg’s Coco Pops, 600g Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, 750g Kellogg’s Bran Flakes, 750g Kellogg’s Fruit n Fibre

Participating stores: Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Co-Op, and some independent retailers/convenience stores

British Swimming and Kellogg’s announce partnership worth £3million to get kids in the swim

30/06/2009 00:00:00

British Swimming and Kellogg’s announce partnership worth £3million to get kids in the swim

British Swimming has today (Tuesday 30^th June) received a boost as Kellogg’s announced a further £3million investment in the sport over three years, supporting a grassroots to gold medals programme of swimming.

The renewal of the sponsorship deal – which continues the brand’s 25 year support of the sport – comes ahead of the World Swimming Championships in Rome next month where Kellogg’s will be the official breakfast of British Swimming.

In the run up to the London 2012 Olympics, four of Britain’s top aquatic stars will be sponsored by Kellogg’s in their quest for success in the pool including Olympic medallist Cassie Patten, FINA World Diving Series Gold medallist Nick Robinson Baker, Paralympic gold medallist and World Record holder Sam Hynd and Olympic synchronised swimmer Olivia Allison.

The sponsorship will help fund invaluable coaching and training to keep the athletes at the top level. They will also act as mentors for 12 rising stars by offering advice and support as they rise through the ranks of British aquatics.

Aside from developing Britain’s elite prospects, the new partnership will provide support for swimming at a local level through the Kellogg’s Swim Active initiative. Swim Active aims to increase accessibility and support for swimming in the hardest to reach communities and projects will include closed sessions for children with weight issues, single-sexed sessions for Sikh women, special family sessions and provision of transport in rural areas. The initiatives will run in partnership with the three Home Country Associations of the ASA, Swim Wales and Scottish Swimming and will work alongside the government’s free swim programme.

A significant element of the sponsorship will continue to encourage children and adults across the UK to learn core swimming skills through the Kellogg’s ASA Award Scheme – the most successful awards programme in British sport which has so far helped two million children learn to swim.

Bruce Learner, Corporate Responsibility Manager from Kellogg’s said:

“Over the years we have seen thousands of lives changed by swimming projects that have made swimming fun again! Our new investment will help the sport go from strength to strength by benefitting swimmers of all ages and abilities as well as encouraging non-swimmers to take the plunge. Swimming is still the UK’s number one participation activity – and we hope our £3m investment means that will be case for years to come.”

David Sparkes, the Chief Executive of British Swimming and the ASA, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be continuing our very successful partnership with Kellogg’s. They have played an important part in our sport for many years, working with us to encourage, develop and reward swimmers of all ages and backgrounds. The pioneering work of the Swim Active initiative has helped us to bring our great sport of swimming to many that would not have had the chance to try and enjoy the water otherwise. The terrific on-going support from Kellogg’s will help us to be able to realise our aim of getting more people swimming, more often and having more fun.”

Visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/swimming for more information.

-Ends-

For media enquiries please contact Kate Hannah on 0161 869 5035 or 07812 355441.