UNCLE TOBYS announced today that from January 2013 its entire range of 44 breakfast cereals will meet the nutrition requirements of a new food standard designed to ensure that health claims only appear on healthy foods.
The announcement is the culmination of a five year program to reduce saturated fat, sugar and sodium across the UNCLE TOBYS cereal range, while increasing wholegrain and fibre.
UNCLE TOBYS Nutrition Manager, Nilani Sritharan, said the recipe changes mean that compared to its old recipes, UNCLE TOBYS is now using 67 tonnes less sugar and 2.5 tonnes less sodium, while adding 193 tonnes more wholegrain and 13 tonnes more fibre each year.
“Today, we are committing to consumers that by the end of January our entire range of UNCLE TOBYS cereals will meet the nutrition eligibility criteria of the new standard, meaning that every one of our cereals could carry a health claim,” Ms Sritharan said.
She said that changing cereals to improve their nutritional value while maintaining the taste and texture consumers prefer has been a challenge.
“We made a series of small changes to our cereals over the years to allow consumers to adjust slowly. We’re proud that the result is an improved product range that consumers continue to enjoy,” she said.
Announcement of the approval of the Standard for Nutrition, Health and Related Claims, which will become law in early 2013, creates stricter controls about on-pack health claims, including the need to provide scientific evidence to support claims and meet specific eligibility criteria including nutrition criteria.
“UNCLE TOBYS has been providing healthy breakfast choices to Australians for 120 years, and our ongoing commitment to nutrition means we have the largest range of breakfast cereals to earn the Heart Foundation Tick of approval,” Ms Sritharan said.
“A healthy and balanced breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and for consumers, this announcement is simply another reason to feel good about choosing an UNCLE TOBYS breakfast cereal.”
For an interview with Nilani Sritharan or for more information please contact:
Anita Catalano
Media Relations Manager
Nestlé Australia
Ph: (02) 8756 2388
Mobile: 0406 403 397
[email protected]
Notes to editor:
- The approval of the new Nutrition, Health and Related Claims Standard was announced by the Australian and New Zealand ministers responsible for the regulation of food on 7 December 2012. Media release.
- UNCLE TOBYS breakfast cereals all score less than four on the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion and carry the Heart Foundation Tick. UNCLE TOBYS brands include UNCLE TOBYS Oats, UNCLE TOBYS PLUS, UNCLE TOBYS CHEERIOS, UNCLE TOBYS VITA BRITS, UNCLE TOBYS VITA BRITS WEETIES, UNCLE TOBYS OAT CRISP, UNCLE TOBYS Bran Plus, UNCLE TOBYS Shredded Wheat, UNCLE TOBYS Fruity Bites, UNCLE TOBYS HEALTHWISE and UNCLE TOBYS Natural Style Muesli.
- Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) is a joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills, established in 1990. It sells products in more than 140 countries, and employs more than 4,000 people.
Uncle Tobys Oats was first introduced into Australian homes in 1893. It was acquired by Nestlé in 2006.