Dispatches

Comments

1. This was a very informative program but unnecessarily sensationalist. There is no point in comparing Honey Cherios with the a non comparable, healthy own label brand on the market. It was a good program spoilt by the urge to show how bad these companies are. We know it and the lack of regulation on labelling. Until companies are forced to label properly, they will continue doing what they are doing.

   Posted by HW on 08/11/2009 20:15:43

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
2. Could you post more facts and figures on some articles or e-mail them to me! Thanks.

   Posted by Ishan on 08/11/2009 17:42:41

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
3. amazing program - i only wish that our government would seriously control all this misleading advertising - i feel like nothing can be trusted and after all my taxes pay for this hopeful security.

   Posted by stu on 01/11/2009 17:59:06

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
4. What really bothers me is the advertising and brand recognition that's bombarded at children. Adverts for chocolate laced cereals and other such products seem to go on forever on every children's channel I see. To top that a friend of mine went into a parents evening at a junior and I was disturbed when he told me there was a full size poster in a corridor for the latest kids film. Faced with this kind of relentless advertising regime, its hard to see how anyone is going to win in the battle to educate our children and not allow them to be brand hungry consumers before they reach the age of 10!

   Posted by spacemonkey on 30/10/2009 09:46:48

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
5. Viewers' comments suggest that some of them have a poor grasp of nutrition, which can be exploited by food companies. The information is out there, as John P says, and it's literally vital that people spend a little time searching it out and absorbing it, in the interests of their own long-term health and that of their families. Don't expect programmes like this always to tell you what to do. Learn the principles, apply your own judgement, and teach your children to do so. (My breakfast's non-instant porridge, with currants and cinnamon; no added salt or refined sugar. Simples.)

   Posted by Chris B on 28/10/2009 12:21:03

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
6. Well done to Channel 4 for a very informative programme on what's hidden in processed breakfast cereals. It set me off looking for alternatives to the massive array of processed convenience foods that are out there and I came across this simple, downloadable guide to healthy eating. http://www.honestfoodguide.org/ It is a handy reference for parents trying to educate their children and for schools pursuing the same. Hope it helps?

   Posted by John P on 27/10/2009 20:26:26

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
7. someone said - "don't just react in a knee-jerk way against sugar, salt and fat - if you didn't eat any salt you would die pretty quickly!" did you see the amounts! they showed the processed sugar piled up! even all bran has unhealthy processed sugar and salt. processed sugar was never in our diet as we evolved, has a massive gi index of 100 (not long lasting energy) and is associated with various diseases, like diabetes. the amounts in these products are really high. more than cakes as we saw! and for salt, we only need a very small amount, which everyone exceeds. too much (which is for most ppl in the uk) has been implemented in hypertensions and 10,000's of deaths a year in the uk only from heart disease.

   Posted by cotic on 27/10/2009 19:16:02

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
8. PLEASE bring this out on DVD, or repeat it. I want all my friends to see it. You are very brave to show this programme; I am disgusted by the appalling cynical wwork of Kelloggs etc in targeting children and in blocking "traffic light" labelling. Also Bravo for exposing the Yakult nonsense & the false Omega 3 claims. I now buy Fru-grains & Neals Yard muesli base & mix them in a bowl. I add milk or fruit juice & leave it in the fridge overnight. It all softens & leaves no hard sharp bits, eat at breakfast & enjoy. I went to all my local supermarkets to look for something to replace All Bran, which has so much sugar & salt in it. No one seems to be making an "own brand". can you put on this site a list of cereals with acceptable levels of sugar & salt please.

   Posted by F Howarth on 27/10/2009 17:12:47

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
9. although i thought this programme was very good and even i learnt a couple of things which was nice can i put it to channel 4 that instead only pussy footing around whats good for you can you do some programmes which actually tell us which are the best products to use ie best top 5 in low salt and sugar and fat easy fast foods which actually have good proteins and nutrients i think the general public actually like just being told this is whats best for you now go and buy it and not to buy this other stuff as its full of crap. oh but can i ask for you not to make a programme that just keeps going over and over the same information again and again just to fill up the programmes time as if we think its a good point we can remember it or if not we have sky and watch again thanks clive

   Posted by clive on 27/10/2009 16:39:28

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
10. okay, Special K is high in sugar, but you need to look at someones whole days diet to know if that is actual bad, or even high. you need a bit of everything, so if you had high sugar breakfest, which sugar and carbs is needed for a days work, then a very low sugar dinner. it would balance out. Same for high salt breakfasts. For the diet the man took in the program is not what was advertised. He was missing a full meal. It called for taking your typical three meal diet, replace breakfast lunch with Special K. This assuming that your lunch is a sandwich or similar. His body, with the lack of a proper third meal would have stored much of the cereal as it would thinking it was starving.

    Posted by Matt on 27/10/2009 15:28:55

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
11. Yoghurt drinks - simply buy a live yoghurt at a fraction of the price for the same effect, they've been around for years!! Don't let the marketing fool you!

    Posted by Jonesy on 27/10/2009 14:08:23

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
12. Very negative one-sided programme. What should we be eating? Focusing on the harmful aspects of popular cereals is not enough to change our eating habits unless you tell us about other products that have positive health benefits. It also seems obvious to me that asking children whether they prefer products in brightly coloured packets is a waste of time. Of course children are attracted to bright colours, but they are not eating the packaging. They eat what their parents put in their breakfast bowl. I found the whole programme irritating and I am cross with myself for wasting an hour of my life on it.

    Posted by Wendy on 27/10/2009 14:01:32

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
13. I agree: no other information provided on alternatives as I suppose eating a full cooked breakfast/bagels/toast and Jam and I could go on is NOT more healthy than eating a bowl of cereal surely?...what happened to good old excercise and a healthy balanced diet...ditch the blame culture and take responsibility for your own diet and who knows what it might lead too!

    Posted by Lucy Jones on 27/10/2009 13:29:14

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
14. I have to say i don't agree what u said about Actimel drinks.They r absolutely briliant and definitely they do help u to prove your immune system.I use to catch every cold in air and now im drinking them non-stop 2 months a i feel helthier then ever.They do help

    Posted by Zuzana on 27/10/2009 11:57:24

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
15. I agree with Angela re the downside of the programme last night. I now know that kellogs and Nestle products are not good for me and their marketing ploys are exploitative but apart from porrige the programme gave no information on products that are good. Are wheatabix better than most other cereals? Sometimes it's nice to have an option that is a bit quicker than porrige.

    Posted by Abbi1 on 27/10/2009 11:50:37

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
16. I now always buy Mornflake Oatbran Flakes instead of All Bran or Bran Flakes because they're made with oatbran instead of wheatbran and I read that oatbran is better for you. I love the very berry ones that are in asda - i can't get enough freeze-dried fruit!!

    Posted by Chris Smith on 27/10/2009 11:46:39

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
17. Please advise who will be taking on the Consumer Role of establishing the Traffic Light System for cereals when the breakfast cereal manufacturers refuse to do so? Many thanks.

    Posted by Mark Raybould on 27/10/2009 11:23:38

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
18. Very informative show, although I would have liked you to have actually told us what dieticians consider to be the healthiest options to eat for breakfast. I was horrified to hear that 30g of Kelloggs cornflakes contains more salt than a pack of Walkers ready salted crisps - that is ridiculous and I shall not be buying them anymore - hypertension runs in my family so I need to watch my salt intake. I think the traffic light system would be a massive help - maybe if supermarkets could be persuaded to use it for their own brands then the large manufacturers would have no choice but to do likewise or risk losing customers! I think we need to take responsibility for what we buy and ignore the marketing jargon that fools us into thinking things are healthier than they really are. I shall now be studying labels very closely and if I can't make sense of the nutritional content then I shall simply put it back on the shelf and buy alternatives. Thank you for making me more aware of the hidden horrors in our food!

    Posted by Karen on 27/10/2009 10:46:13

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
19. The mega-doses of sugar from breakfast cereals and other processed food is a major health threat to our vulnerable kids. These food companies and their high salt, sugar and additives, are also actively endangering the health of the nation and all for profit. The link between diet and galloping obesity, diabetes, coronary and other health related problems is easy to understand. Stick to the simple, whole, natural and reliable foods that have not been messed around and reconstituted into sugar and salt in drag. Our bodies are not designed to take such high doses of extras. Stay away from supermarkets, packaged, processed foods and reclaim your own and your children's health. It's a journey of recovery and discovery that must be taken.

    Posted by Dipper JP on 27/10/2009 10:14:41

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
20. hello can i please have the recipie for the chocolate cake that was on dispatches last night. It was a low choice and im trying to loose weight so it would be a good choice. Please could i have the recipie Mant thanks katie xx

    Posted by katie Jones on 27/10/2009 10:08:22

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
21. Simply buy Oats and mix them with fruit and nuts every weekend , stored in a jar this lasts the family all week - delicious, cheap, natural and nutritious!!

    Posted by jonesy on 27/10/2009 10:05:09

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
22. Missed your program,But what were the best cereals to give your children and ones to avoid ???

    Posted by Mark Ryan on 27/10/2009 09:19:15

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
23. Usually a fan of Dispatches, I was disappointed by the quality of journalism in this programme. First, the man who was testing out Kellogg's claim that eating two bowls of cereal and then an evening meal will help to lose weight. The programme (and the man himself) consistently ridiculed Kellogg's. At the end of the two weeks he was found to have lost 1kg (in other words just over a pound a week weight loss). So Kellogg's were in fact right with their claim. And how was this addressed in the programme? The man proudly stating that tomorrow he was looking forward to a sausage and egg sandwich for breakfast! Then there was the cake. Jane Moore spent quite some time in the programme mixing a chocolate cake, and then proudly states that this was better for you than breakfast cereal. The lady from the lab thinks, and then quietly adds, "in terms of sugar and salt, yes". Anyone thought about mentioning the fat content? No. Because that wouldn't fit in with the thrust of the programme. A tub of lard would contain less salt and sugar than breakfast cereal, but you wouldn't serve that up would you? And why? Because it's full of fat. And then there was the Professor who was a panel member of H-E-A-R-T; criticised for previously working in the cereal industry. Let's not forget he is only one member of a panel. After spending some time telling us how shocking this is that someone who previously worked in the cereal industry could be on a panel such as this it is quietly mentioned that he has in fact broken no rules whatsoever. A few other things cropped up, such as Jane Moore replacing her child's Coco Pops with Honey Cherios. Seriously, did an intelligent journalist like Moore really not consider that replacing one sweet cereal with another sweet cereal might not achieve anything? And the family that ate porridge for a week - did you see the porridge those children were served? It looked like cement! After serving that up the cameraman clearly had no difficulty getting shots of turned-up noses. I'm no chef, but even I can make a better looking porridge than that. And finally, yes, some cereals are marketed at children. But I haven't seen many five year olds doing the family shopping. Adults buy cereals, children don't. It's not beyond adults to buy the sugary stuff and save it for weekend treats rather than serve it as an every day cereal. It seems to me that this programme started out to vilify the cereal industry, rather than aiming to give us a well balanced viewpoint.

    Posted by Darrell on 27/10/2009 08:49:43

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
24. Unfortunately we did not catch all the programme. Can you tell me what was concluded as the best cereal to eat in the morning (nutrition wise) I know porridge is OK, but what others if any were considered to be the better option.

    Posted by Linda Mays on 27/10/2009 07:45:31

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
25. I have been struggling to lose wight during the last 6 months and was shocked to learn that the All Bran that I eat thinking it was healthy (it is advertised that way) is actually full of sugar. Thank you for the information, I will be seeking the advice of a dietitian for a healthier breakfast option.

    Posted by Danielle on 27/10/2009 06:37:46

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
26. This show does make you think - but it's like everything in this world that we live, where do us parents get the correct info about what we should and should not have in our family diet? I spose it comes back to the age old arguement, really - keep the food and drink 'natural'...fresh fish, organic meet etc. PROBLEM: is not cheap....

    Posted by Vik on 26/10/2009 23:20:07

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
27. I am very excited to say that the headteacher in this Dispatches was a dear, long lost friend of mine! I would be absolutely thrilled if my details could be passed on to him as I have been trying to find him for several years. many thanks, Liz Williams

    Posted by Liz Williams on 26/10/2009 22:14:37

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
28. I am a Japanese, this reminds me what I saw first in England, At that time, I was staying with a family has 11 and 4 years old boys, They had only a same products, every single morning it was Chocolate courted cerieal. They are both too small and week for their age. In my country, both adult and children have same things for morning, Traditionally, they are rice, miso soup, small fish or ommlet, and see weed. These things give me a real energy for a day. I can not understand how children can keep their energy. It is clear that chocolate does not have any nutorition and I think it is not so tasty just too sweet and spoil any other taste. If they trained from young days, they can learn how to enjoy more delicate taste, subtle sweetness of fruit and any foods,

    Posted by Y on 26/10/2009 22:05:55

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
29. I was very disappointed that the programme whilst telling us lots of horror stories about the various products didn't give any information on which cereals are a "healthier" option. How without being dieticians ourselves can we make an informed choice. This programme told me that my childrens normal choice of cereals are "bad" but not how to choose a better one. I thought I was doing so well having an 8yr old who liked bran flakes but now I discover even less obvious cereals like bran and corn flakes are not a healthy choice. What about cereal bars (my personal breakfast of choice) What should I be looking at or for on packets and boxes. This programme has just confused me further

    Posted by angela on 26/10/2009 21:24:47

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
30. How come an american firm like Kellogs produces cereals in the US with lower levels of sugar and salt BUT DONT USE THE SAME RECIPE HERE .My 11 yr old says own brand cereals from now on mum so 1 victory to dispatches.

    Posted by lesley on 26/10/2009 21:21:37

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
31. of course just don't buy them thats easy RONANW probably hasn't any children. Its about having the correct information to make an informed decision.

    Posted by milky bar kid on 26/10/2009 20:54:28

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
32. I think the programme makes some good points, but gives the wrong impression that any salt and sugar is bad and the source of many of our health problems. If you think that's the case you should consider continental breakfasts, which are loaded with fats and sugar. E.g. the dutch enjoy 'breakfast cake' (which is basically cake...) and put chocolate flakes on bread, but they don't have anywhere near the health problems we have - largely because they also exercise properly. Think about the French and pain au chocolat and croissants, plus the continental Europeans also enjoy eating processed meats and cheese with their breakfast but don't have obesity problems. In fact, a decent breakfast with sufficient energy content is important to start the day, and can help prevent people snacking on unhealthy chocolate/crisps etc later in the day. So I think this whole issue has been oversimplified in this programme. That said, I don't think most cereals do the job either, but don't just react in a knee-jerk way against sugar, salt and fat - if you didn't eat any salt you would die pretty quickly!

    Posted by philu on 26/10/2009 20:52:57

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
33. Having watched the testing on your show, all I have learnt is you have no intest in proving anything scientifically yourself. Would it have been so hard to apply the basic principles of control and double blind tests?

    Posted by Matt Jordan on 26/10/2009 20:45:21

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
34. It is quite worrying. I think i am addicted to Crunchy nut cornflakes due to the higfh sugar levels. I am going to have to wean myself off them. Not sure what to replace them with any ideas??

    Posted by Fanny on 26/10/2009 20:26:11

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
35. Just watching this show and of course some of the cereals coated in chocolate are not great for you.... but if you think they are not good for your kids don't buy it... its as simple as that.. its the parents choice and nobody forces you to eat anything.. if you don't want to eat it then don't eat it...

    Posted by ronanw on 26/10/2009 20:08:46

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
36. I guess the reason food manufacturers add so much salt and sugar to their food is that they know this makes the food irresistable to the majority of consumers, who'll keep buying the food, and consequently keep boosting the manufacturers' profits. I agree with you, Yvonne, the FSA should have more power to impose limits on salt and sugar.

    Posted by Naomi on 26/10/2009 15:21:24

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
37. Very simple and logical solution, remove all sugar and salt from cereals and any other foods and people can add these themselves - this provides people with a choice. This should by law also apply to drinks, it is a total disgrace that any sugar or salt - no matter how small the amount, be added to any foods, especially cereals. What is the actual role of Food Standards Agency? And given the huge issue in the UK with health problems, why do the FSA have no powers to prevent food manufactuters adding these ingredients. Thank you.

    Posted by Yvonne on 26/10/2009 13:12:53

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment