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TORONTO, July 16, 2003 - Kellogg Canada is helping to educate consumers about Canada's new nutrition labels by bringing new packages of its flagship brands - Kellogg's Corn Flakes* and Kellogg's* Mini-Wheats* -- to the breakfast table. The initiative marks the first time a food manufacturer is voluntarily using its packaging to help consumers better understand Canada's new labelling regulations.

In keeping with Kellogg Canada's longstanding commitment to nutrition education, the entire Kellogg's Corn Flakes* cereal box - emblazoned with a red maple leaf to applaud the uniquely Canadian regulations - explains the nutrition terminology used on the labels. The new Kellogg's Corn Flakes* package (400g and 525g) will appear on grocery shelves for a limited time beginning mid-July. In addition, consumers can expect to see similar nutrition labelling information on selected packages of Kellogg's* Mini-Wheats* (475g and 725g) in stores by mid- August.

"As leaders in nutrition education, we are continuing the Kellogg Canada tradition of providing nutrition information that goes above and beyond government requirements," said Christine Lowry, Vice President, Nutrition and Corporate Affairs. "Consumers are demanding more from food labels and Kellogg's has responded by providing easy-to-read and easy-to-understand information on our flagship products."

In fact, recent studies indicate that Canadians are generally dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of information on packaging. According to a recent Ipsos-Reid study* ⁽¹⁾, nearly 60 per cent of consumers questioned said that they consulted nutritional information on packaging all the time or most of the time. This survey also showed that only one in five people were satisfied with the existing nutritional information found on packaging. Hence, the support for food packaging regulations mandated by the Canadian government early in the year.

"Educating the public about the new nutrition labels will remain a focus for Kellogg Canada as we roll-out new nutrition labels on our brands over the next several months," added Ms. Lowry. "We feel strongly that these new packages will not only be an important education tool for consumers, but will allow consumers to compare products and make more informed food choices."

"Nutritional information is essential to helping Canadians make healthy informed choices," said Anne McLellan, Federal Minister of Health. "The Nutrition Facts table developed by Health Canada will allow Canadians to assess nutritional value and more easily manage special diets."

With Health Canada's new regulations, a standard "Nutrition Facts" panel must appear on the labels of most pre-packaged foods to help consumers compare the nutrient content per serving between foods. The new Kellogg's Corn Flakes* box provides detailed explanation of the new nutrition labels on the side and back panels:

• Health claims: a health claim links the nutrient content of a food to reducing the risk of developing a diet-related disease, such as, "A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fat may reduce the risk of heart disease."
• What's new with Fat: the new label provides more information on fat, such as saturated and trans fat, which are the fats most closely associated with increased health risks. You can now compare products for the content of these fats.
• The meaning behind Percent Daily Values (%DV): indicates how much of a nutrient is
  in a food based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The %DV is set high enough to meet the nutrient needs on a population basis. However, your individual needs may be different. The %DV can help you identify foods that are high or low in a nutrient.

Responsible food labelling is a tradition at Kellogg Canada, dating back nearly 50 years. In fact, Kellogg was one of the first companies in Canada to voluntarily share nutrition information on cereal labels, including ingredient lists, health information and resources. Today, the company continues to offer more nutrition information on the Kellogg's Corn Flakes* cereal box and other cereal boxes than is required with the basic required information highlighted in red and the Kellogg's additional information highlighted in green.

In addition to information provided on-pack, consumers interested in nutrition labelling can also visit the Kellogg Canada web site at www.kelloggs.ca or call the toll-free information line at 1- 888-876-3750.

Kellogg Canada is the leading manufacturer of ready-to-eat cereal in Canada. Kellogg Canada is committed to educating consumers about nutrition through responsible packaging, brochures, advertising and symposia developed with the scientific and medical communities.

⁽¹⁾ Study on nutritional information conducted by Ipsos-Reid, April 1-4, 2003 using a sample of 1000.

Did you know…

Kellogg Canada has been informing and educating consumers about nutrition, healthy eating and active lifestyles for more than 50 years. Take a peek at some of Kellogg's most colourful education campaigns.