Silicon Valley Musings

Recent letter I sent to Kellogg’s

My family and I have been loyal Kellogg’s customers for decades. I grew up eating Rice Krispies. Up until recently, my family ate them as well.

Recently, we decided to make a concerted effort to eat healthier, more natural foods. We were disappointed to find that Rice Krispies contain both sugar, and more importantly high fructose corn syrup.

I regret to inform you we will no longer be eating Rice Krispies, but will be purchasing other cereals that do not contain high fructose corn syrup. We encourage you to consider removing the high fructose corn syrup from all your breakfast cereal products and reducing or eliminating the sugar as well. We can always add our own cane sugar or honey to taste.

Sincerely Yours,

Steve Wilhelm
Silicon Valley, California

UPDATE: Here is Kellogg’s response

Mr. Wilhelm,

Thank you for contacting Kellogg Company concerning the high-fructose corn syrup we use as an ingredient in some of our brands. We appreciate your interest in our company and products.

Kellogg Company is aware that many consumers either need or want special dietary foods. We market a wide selection of products to give our consumers a variety of choices to meet their taste preferences and nutritional needs.

High-fructose corn syrup is used as an ingredient in some of our products to achieve the desired texture and taste. High-fructose corn syrup is a carbohydrate that the body converts to a sugar as it is digested. The body breaks down sugars, such as sucrose, fructose and lactose, and other carbohydrates, such as starches, into simple sugars. Simple sugars then travel through the blood stream to body cells and provide energy to these cells.

Health professionals are stressing that Americans use moderation in their total caloric intake and consume their calories from a variety of foods. Healthy dietary guidelines recommend that approximately 45-65 percent of calories consumed come from carbohydrates, 10-35 percent of calories come from protein, and 20-35 percent of total calories come from fat.

Our nutritionists continually review research on all of the ingredients we add to our products to ensure we continue to produce the great-tasting and nutritious brands that our consumers have come to expect. Most breakfast cereals have little or no fat and are cholesterol-free, making them an excellent food choice at breakfast, or at any time of the day. We hope you will agree that our great-tasting breakfast products offer wholesome alternatives that make a positive contribution to the daily diet.

We appreciate your continued interest in our products.

Sincerely,

Laura *******
Consumer Affairs Department

Kellogg North America
PO Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016-1986