A commitment to reduce sugar levels in cereals advertised to children by an average of 20% has been announced by Cereal Partners Worldwide*, a global joint venture between food giants Nestlé and General Mills. In Australia, their brands include Nestlé’s Milo cereals and Uncle Tobys cereal.

The joint venture said that the sugar reduction would be carried out using existing technologies – as well as through advances that will be developed by the new CPW Innovation Centre, once it is fully operational in the course of 2010.

“Throughout the years, CPW has invested to deliver superior nutrition in its cereals,” Christi Strauss, President and CEO of Cereal Partners Worldwide, said. “This is another important commitment that we are confident will be well received by consumers.”

Ms Strauss stressed that the taste of the cereals will not change but noted difficulties in the sugar reduction process.

“Reducing sugar without sacrificing the taste is a challenge,” she advised. “But our joint venture has developed capabilities that are second to none in the food business. We can leverage these breakthroughs. It will require technology, time and substantial levels of ongoing investment, but we are committed to this initiative.”

* Currently the number two breakfast cereal producer worldwide with sales of around A$3 billion, CPW has 14 factories and employs nearly 4,000 people worldwide.

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