Breakfast cereal packaging aimed at children should be outlawed, say campaigners

The days of breakfast cereal icons should be numbered, a charity has said.

Action on Sugar, a charity that lobbies against high sugar diets, has called for the removal of cereal and yoghurt packaging that appeals to children - a move which would endanger the likes of Tony the Tiger and the Coco Pops monkey.

New research by the charity, based at Queen Mary University of London, has revealed that both breakfast cereals and yogurts, with packaging that appeals to children, have unnecessary amounts of sugars – with some products containing the equivalent of up to four teaspoons of sugar per serving.

On average, Nestle, Lidl and Aldi contained the highest sugars per 100g across their range of cereals with packaging that appeals to children.

Registered nutritionist Dr Kawther Hashem, campaign lead at Action on Sugar, said: “It’s ludicrous that whilst breakfast cereals and yogurts celebrate the largest reductions in sugars during the Sugar Reduction Programme, those same products with child-appealing packaging still have excessive amounts of sugars, unsuitable for regular intake by children.

“Given the soaring numbers of under-18s suffering weight-related health problems and tooth decay being the leading cause of child hospitalisation, now is the time for companies to be forced to remove child-appealing packaging from products that are misleading parents and making our children unhealthy and sick.”

Zoe Davies, nutritionist at Action on Sugar, added: "There is no reason why products with high or medium levels of salt or sugar should be marketed as ‘suitable for children’. If we are to protect the health of our future generation, then bold action is required now from both government and companies alike and this must include child-friendly packaging only being placed on healthier products.”

The news comes amid discussions in government about similar child-centric packaging around vapes.

Local authorities and health experts believe e-cigarettes are being targeted at young people through their packaging, with many calling for an outright ban.