In June, Kellogg committed to unveiling the innovative Nutrition at a Glance feature in the U.S., along with a promise to change the way it markets food to children.

"For more than 100 years, Kellogg has been committed to helping consumers make informed food choices. Guideline Daily Amounts on Kellogg's ready-to- eat cereals will do just that," said Jennifer Garrett, Ph.D., Kellogg Company director of nutrition marketing. "Research indicates consumers are seeking fast and simple ways to make nutrition-based decisions, and GDAs displayed on the front of package allow them to do so quickly."

The new GDA feature will appear as a colorful and easy-to-use Nutrition at a Glance banner on the box top or upper, right-hand corner of Kellogg's ready-to-eat cereal boxes. Four key nutrients will be displayed on every box of Kellogg's ready-to-eat cereals: calories, fat, sodium and total grams of sugar. Additionally, up to two nutrients Americans need more of as identified by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E will be displayed. All GDA information is based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

"Kellogg is encouraging others in the industry to join in this effort to help consumers make fast, simple and informed decisions in the cereal aisles," added Garrett.

Why Guideline Daily Amounts?
GDAs are not new recommendations or standards for healthy eating -- instead, they provide a quick snapshot of how a food fits into a consumer's daily diet and complement the Nutrition Facts Panel. Kellogg first pioneered the use of GDAs in Europe and Australia, where the labeling approach has been well-received and adopted by the industry.

Research shows that time-pressed consumers want to streamline the shopping process. Consumers want quicker ways to make informed nutrition choices for themselves and their families.

"The real value of placing Guideline Daily Amounts on front of package to consumers is that they bring key nutrition facts from the side panel to front of pack, making it fast and simple for consumers to make informed diet decisions," said Carolyn O'Neil, registered dietitian and co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! "As a dietitian and a mom, I'm happy to see important information about calorie, fat, sodium and sugar content available at a glance so I can easily identify the products that provide 'a little' or 'a lot' of a given nutrient."

How to Use Guideline Daily Amounts
Consumers can use the GDAs on Kellogg's ready-to-eat cereals to evaluate nutrients, compare products and select the Kellogg's brand cereal that is right for them.
-- Evaluating Nutrients: The percentage of nutrients appearing on the GDA feature helps consumers quickly identify if a serving includes "a little" or "a lot" of a desired nutrient. Generally, less than 5% percent is "a little," and more than 20% is considered "a lot."
-- Making Comparisons: Consumers can use the GDA feature to compare the nutrients in one Kellogg's ready-to-eat cereal to another to make individual choices.
-- Selecting Products: Consumers can use GDAs to help select products that help meet their nutrition goals.

For more information on GDAs, consumers can click on http://www.kelloggsnutrition.com/.

From the September 24, 2007, Prepared Foods e-Flash