Kellogg’s announced on Friday it is recalling millions of boxes of cereal boxes due to “an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package.”
The recalled products are certain boxes of Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, and Honey Smacks. So far, no consumer is known to have been affected, which made the bad-news-is-best-released-on-weekends recall press release quite convenient.
Not that recalling these products is a bad thing. All 4 cereals, targeted squarely at kids, are loaded with sugar, and will not be missed by health and nutrition minded consumers. Each serving of cereal contains at least 3 teaspoons of sugar. Some also include trans-fat (!) and artificial colors.
All 4 cereals include BHT as the last ingredient, “to preserve freshness”. BHT, Butylated hydroxytoluene, is an antioxidant preservative that can lengthen the shelf life of a product. There is some controversy around its safety, with reports of hyperactivity and carcinogenic properties.
Could the millions of recalled boxes have been treated with too much or too little BHT? Was it something else that found its way into the packaging? We’ll let you know if we find out.
What to do at the supermarket:
When buying cereal, look for less than 6 grams of sugar, at least 3 grams of fiber, and no artificial colors or partially hydrogenated oils.
