General Mills to undergo a whole-grain makeover

October 1, 2004

By Associated Press | October 1, 2004

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Trix Rabbit and the Lucky Charms leprechaun are going

on a whole-grain diet.

General Mills said yesterday it will convert all its breakfast cereals

to whole grain.

The nation's number two cereal producer, behind Kellogg Co., is the

latest food company to give its products a nutritional makeover as

pressure grows from the government and consumer groups to make

children's food healthier.

General Mills spokesman Tom Johnson said the whole-grain conversion will

cover 29 cereals, including Trix, Golden Grahams, Lucky Charms, and Rice

Chex. Other General Mills cereals, such as Wheaties and Total, already

were made with whole grain.

The new recipes and packaging will be launched this month, Johnson said.

He declined to say whether the change would affect General Mills'

manufacturing costs, but the company said it would not increase the

price retailers pay for cereal.

Nutritionists say eating whole grains is better than processed grains

because they contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and are more

filling.

The company said the change will add 26 million servings of whole grains

per day to the diet consumed by Americans.

General Mills said testing with 9,000 consumers showed the revamped

cereals taste as good or better than the earlier versions. " I think

they're making a bet that health will sell, " said economics professor

Jean Kinsey, codirector of The Food Industry Center at the University of

Minnesota. " It's a marketing ploy that's very compatible with public

health. "

The General Mills move follows a recent recommendation by a federal

advisory panel that people should eat whole grain products rather than

refined grains to reduce risks of heart disease and other conditions.

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