General Mills Sued Over “Misleading” Cheerios Protein

General Mills is being sued over its cereal “Cheerios Protein.” A consumer advocacy group called the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is suing the company for the way the cereal is advertised–essentially as having more protein and being better for you than regular Cheerios. But, CSPI is claiming that that advertising is misleading, and Cheerios Protein only has a bit more protein, but also has more sugar and calories.

Cheerios Protein claims to have seven grams of protein in comparison to the three grams in regular Cheerios. But CSPI is claiming that the increased protein only comes from the fact that the serving size for Cheerios Protein is larger–almost twice as large in fact. That means that the supposed higher level of protein in Cheerios Protein is, as CSPI puts it, negligible.

Although it’s easy to figure out the serving sizes and relative nutritional information for Cheerios Protein and traditional Cheerios–it’s all on the box–CSPI is arguing that the marketing of Cheerios Protein is problematic.

CSPI’s litigation director Maia Kats stated:

Consumers who buy Cheerios Protein probably think they’re doing themselves a favor, and that this more expensive product is essentially a protein-fortified version of original Cheerios. n fact, the main thing that distinguishes Cheerios Protein from original Cheerios is the huge amount of sugar and extra calories. With 17 times as much sugar as original Cheerios, Cheerios Protein is actually more conducive to diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, and tooth decay.

General Mills disagrees with these claims, clarifying:

We don’t normally respond to these publicity-seeking lawsuits from CSPI – but we do reject their comparison. An equal amount of Cheerios Protein contains 18% more protein by weight than original Cheerios.

This isn’t the first public relations problem that General Mills has had as it tries to create more nutritional options for its consumers. In October, some boxes of Cheerios that were advertised as gluten-free turned out not to be, leading to a recall and scrutiny. Although this lawsuit is ongoing it will have to be seen if the same PR backlash follows suit. Either way, consumers of Cheerios Protein should be on the lookout.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.