Leading breakfast cereal Kellogg's has rejected the findings of a survey which found massive amounts of sugar in most breakfast products and said no children's cereal could be considered healthy.
Kellogg's claimed the survey by the Consumers' Association of Ireland, published in yesterday's Irish Times, was confusing and misleading.
A spokeswoman said it failed to take into account the size of "real-life" cereal portions, the important role of breakfast cereals in supplying minerals and vitamins and the nutritional benefits of eating breakfast.
The CAI survey found that not one of 36 children's cereals surveyed scored a healthy rating, which would apply to those high in fibre but low in sugar, salt and saturated fat. Of 51 cereals for adults, just eight were classified as healthy, while none of the 32 cereal bars earned a healthy ranking. Two-thirds of children's cereals contained at least 30 per cent sugar, while many were also high in salt and saturated fat, the survey found.
Valerie Kelly of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute advised parents to read the labels when choosing cereal for their children and to opt for unprocessed options such as porridge.
"Parents should remember that children can be given any cereal, not just children's cereals, which are generally higher in sugar."
Emphasising the importance of breakfast, Ms Kelly said she would "rather see a child eating a sugary cereal than nothing at all".
Kellogg's said it was committed to improving the nutritional profile of its cereals, promoting breakfast as the most important meal of the day.
Citing a study by the Irish University Nutrition Alliance, the spokeswoman said breakfast accounted for 6-8 per cent of the daily calorie, sugar and salt intake of Irish children.
"In fact, a large number of Irish children are deficient in nutrients such as iron, folic acid and calcium. Between one-quarter and one- third of iron in Irish children's diets comes from breakfast cereals. Every bowl of Kellogg's cereal contains 17 per cent of the recommended daily allowance of iron."