FAQ

No. Breakfast cereals are a low-fat breakfast option. Most Nestlé breakfast cereals popular with children contain an average 4-7% fat; that’s less than 2g of fat per 30g serving.

No, breakfast cereals do not contribute to cholesterol intake.

No. Breakfast cereals aren’t a major source of saturated fats, and contain no added trans fats. Some grains, such as oats, can be higher in fats – but these are naturally present in the grain, and tend to be ‘good’ fats, not saturated fats.

No. As tastes vary from region to region, the amount of sugar we add to our cereals depends on where they’re being sold. But we’re committed to ensuring the added sugar levels in our products for children and teenagers won’t exceed 9g per 30g serving from the end of 2015. And we’re always looking for ways to reduce sugar in our products – wherever in the world they’re sold.

Our cereals do contain sugar - but it isn’t the main ingredient. Cereal is made mostly from grain, which makes it a source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. One serving of Nestlé Breakfast Cereals targeted to kids and teens contains on average just 2 teaspoons of sugar. And we’re working on reducing that amount - by the end of 2015, our children’s cereals* will contain around 30% less sugar overall **– and will still taste just as great.

No. Artificial sweeteners don’t work in the same way as sugars, so they are not typically used in breakfast cereals. One way we replace the sugars taken out of our cereals is by increasing the amount of whole grains, like wheat and rice.

There’s no evidence to suggest this.

Yes, we apply the same standards all over the world to make sure all our cereals are of the same quality. We also make sure we meet the individual needs of different regions. For example, we add zinc to our cereals in Latin America because there is a specific need for zinc in that region.

No. The amount of sugar in breakfast cereals is no more (and often less) than other common breakfast choices like fruit and yogurt, fruit juice, or toast with jam.

Two things to remember: • Look for food labels where the word 'whole' appears in front of the name of the grain, like “whole wheat” or “wholemeal bread”. • For foods with more than one ingredient, make sure whole grain is listed towards the top of the ingredients list. The further up the list it is, the more whole grain has been used in the recipe. And look out for the percentage of whole grain. You should find this in the ingredients list too. It’s easy to know if a Nestlé breakfast cereal is made with whole grain: just look out for the Green Banner and whole grain tick on top of the box.

We’re committed to giving our consumers clear and accurate nutritional information in a format that best helps them make informed decisions about their diet. We use Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) on our products. These make the nutrition information easy to understand and help people make informed choices. The information is factual, objective and clear. We believe it’s the most neutral and informative system currently available. In addition to local food labelling requirements, almost all Nestlé Breakfast Cereals carry the ‘Nestlé Nutritional Compass’, which is a clear, transparent labelling guide, giving consumers easy-to-understand and detailed nutritional information on protein, carbohydrate, fat and sugar content and how much is in a single portion.

Foods are given a GI ‘score’ to show how fast your blood sugar levels rise in response to an intake of carbohydrates. The higher the score, the faster the blood sugar level rises. A GI value of 70 or more is considered high, one of 56-69 is medium, and one of 55 or less is low. The lower the score, the slower the rate of carbohydrate absorption, and the lower the rise in blood sugar level.

About 50% saturated fat, which is about the same as other fat products like butter. However, we only use small quantities of palm oil in most of our breakfast cereals, so it doesn’t impact significantly on the amount of saturated fat in our products. All of our breakfast cereals contain less than 5% saturated fat.

Keep it simple: make grains the base of your diet and choose whole grains over refined grains wherever possible. U.S Dietary Guidelines recommend eating 3 servings (48g) a day. So, whenever you look for breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice or flour to cook at home, look for the word “whole”, ideally among the first ingredients in the list.

The amount of whole grain we add to our breakfast cereals depends on the type of cereal. It’s easier, technically, to add it to some of them than it is to others. And if a breakfast cereal has other ingredients like fruit, nuts or chocolate, the cereal content is lower, so there’s less scope for adding whole grain. To learn about the whole grain content of your breakfast cereal, check the label or visit “Our Cereals”

Because children and teenagers have different daily energy needs to adults, they need different size portions to help them meet their recommended daily allowances (RDA) of nutrients. It’s generally recommended that breakfast provides around 20% of daily energy intake. For a child aged 4-8 years old, we recommend a portion size of between 25-30g, as part of a balanced breakfast, but for an adult this would be on average 30-45g. Find out more about serving sizes.

As well as being a healthy choice for people who want to reduce the amount of gluten in their diet, or have coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance, Gluten Free Corn Flakes are fortified with B-vitamins, folic acid and iron.

“Whole Grain” means that all parts of the grain are present: the bran, the germ and the endosperm. These three components of a grain contain different nutrients, which play an important part in helping the plant grow and stay healthy.

Because some forms of iron can affect the taste of the product, we use it in a reduced form. This is still easily absorbed and used by the body. The amount of iron your body absorbs depends on how much you’re lacking - so the more you need, the more you’ll absorb.

Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune disease, caused by the immune system reacting to gluten. It’s believed to affect one in 100 people.

The general name for proteins found in cereal grains such as wheat. It holds the food together, like a ‘glue’, and gives dough its elasticity.

Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity describes people who are unable to tolerate gluten. They experience similar symptoms to sufferers of coeliac disease but don't appear to have damaged intestines (which people with coeliac disease do).

Breakfast cereals usually have a high or medium GI score – which will be lowered by adding milk. Lots of things can affect a cereal’s GI, like the heating and processing of the grains during manufacturing to make them safe and tasty to eat. Some intact whole grain cereals, like oats and mueslis, may have a low GI score – but not always: you can’t work out the GI just by looking at a product’s nutrition label. It’s calculated by testing each product in the human body. During manufacturing, cereals can change their GI, so the GI of a cereal made in one market could have a different GI in another market due to differences in production. Batch cooked corn flakes, for example, have a very different GI value (132) from extruded corn flakes (72). It’s not just the GI of a product that’s important. What really matters is the overall impact on blood sugar levels of a whole meal, since foods interact with each other. For instance, the GI of breakfast cereals will significantly decrease when consumed with milk.

We’ve all heard of ‘blood sugar’ levels, and how keeping them balanced helps maintain even energy levels and weight. The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a biological indicator of how the levels of glucose in your blood are affected by a fixed amount of carbohydrates in foods or drinks. Put simply, it tells you whether the carbohydrate is ‘slow’ or ‘fast’ releasing.

Palm oil plays an important role in Nestle Breakfast Cereals as, among other things, it helps us to achieve the crunchy texture we all enjoy in the morning.

A complete breakfast should include a balance of nutrients from each of the major food groups. As a guide, it might look like this:

• 1 grain-based starchy food
• 1 dairy food
• 1 portion of fresh fruit
• 1 glass of water
• Optionally, an additional source of protein Nestlé breakfast cereals are a nutritious breakfast choice as they are:
• A source of fibre and whole grain
• Low in fat (most have low levels of all types of fat, including saturates)
• Fortified with vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, calcium and iron
• A lower calorie per kilojoule, fat and sugar choice than many other breakfast food options

Nestlé breakfast cereals are usually fortified with a minimum of 5 vitamins (B2, B6, niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), folic acid (B9), and, in some recipes, vitamin D), and 2 minerals (calcium and iron).

A ‘whole’ grain has more nutrients than a ‘refined’ grain, because all parts of the grain are retained – kernel, bran, endosperm and germ – along with their fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. But most of the bran and germ are removed when producing refined grains. Whole grains therefore contain more nutrients than refined grains.

The serving size we indicate on our packs is based on history of use, product density and average intake data (people actually consume around 30 to 45g). The recommended serving size for breakfast cereals depends on age, gender, and level of physical activity. We provide clear front of pack information to help people make informed decisions about what they eat for breakfast. We pioneered the adoption of the monochrome Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) system for displaying nutritional information.

 
The change to sustainably sourced palm oil is a temporary change, to help ensure we can still produce products in our European factories. This situation is incredibly fluid, and it is very difficult to predict what will happen next. Here at CPW, we are working hard to continue to offer our full range of products and meet consumer expectations. We will transition back to sunflower oil as soon as possible.

All Nestlé breakfast cereals carrying the green banner are made with whole grain; this is our Whole Grain Guarantee. They are made with at least 8g or more of whole grain per 30g serving. There are ingredient lists on all packs, showing the exact amount. By end of 2015, we’re committed to making whole grain the main ingredient in all Nestlé cereals popular with children.

To get your day off to a great start, your breakfast should include a good serving of vitamins and minerals, because they’re essential for a healthy diet. That’s why we fortify our breakfast cereals. We add Vitamin D to many of our children’s cereals, because in most countries kids aren’t getting enough of it. And FITNESS® is fortified with vitamins and minerals of interest to women, like calcium, iron and folic acid.

The serving sizes mentioned on breakfast cereals can slightly differ, mainly due to differences in product density. Beyond its nutrients density, it’s also important for the portion size to suit the average cereal bowl. Some types of breakfast cereals, such as mueslis or granolas, are denser than traditional flakes; so a 30g serving could look tiny and unrealistic in a bowl – that's why we use 45g as a reference. These different serving sizes have been defined by the European cereals trade association and consistently applied by all industry members in Europe.

 
While half of our European portfolio doesn’t contain any oil (mainly our flakes) the other half of our recipes feature oil on the ingredient list. Its primary use is to help in the manufacturing process: it acts as a lubricant when we are shaping the product and, helps avoiding stickiness. In some products oil plays a role in the sensory profile – how the product feels and tastes in the mouth.

It’s widely accepted that iron is an important part of a healthy diet and many people around the world don’t get enough. Our cereals generally contain 15% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron. Check the label to see the iron levels in your cereal.

Because it’s industry practice to label seasonal oils (oils that aren’t consistently available across the year). In Europe it’s now mandatory to detail the types of vegetable oils used in a food product. So it’s no longer permitted to use the term “vegetable oil” on a label.

A gluten-free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease.

Salt is added to a lot of foods, not just cereals. We add it to our cereals for flavour and texture - and because it’s a preservative. It’s important for quality, and because without it, the natural grain flavour can seem raw and bland. Each breakfast cereal has an individual recipe developed through extensive consumer testing, so we can give you a product you’ll love with great flavour and a long shelf life.

We thoroughly reviewed all possible alternatives and palm oil proved to be the best alternative due to its favorable characteristics, taste and availability. We continue to explore options of how we can best renovate our products, and we ensure this change to palm oil remains temporary. 

No, they shouldn’t. All of our cereals have a clear and consistent ingredient specification and manufacturing process – the type of vegetable oil should not materially change the taste.

 
In Europe, approximately 85% of our European recipes will not have a change in Nutri-Score* due to the oil change.