Mexico Confiscates Thousands of Kellogg's Cereal! Officials Say Cartoon Mascots Aren't Allowed To Be Used
The Mexican government confiscated thousands of Kellogg cereal boxes in more than 75 stores. On the other hand, the warehouse located north of Mexico City was the one that was raided the most by authorities.
The issue with this kid's breakfast meal was its usage of a cartoon mascot. Mexican officials claim that this marketing strategy breaks a law that aims to maintain children's health.
Kellogg cereals don't really contain that much sugar. According to Kellog's official website, the cereal contains 90% corn. The remaining ingredients include vitamins, such as vitamin E, B6, folate, and riboflavin.
Aside from these, it also has iron, zinc oxide, barley, salt, malt extract, and sugar.
Mexico Confiscates Kellogg Cereal
Business Insider reported that the issue is not actually about Kellogg cereal being unhealthy. The problem with the cereal brand is its way of attracting consumers.
The Mexican government explained that the current laws prevent food companies and agencies from using marketing ploys, such as mascots, to attract young individuals.
They added that the action against Kellogg came since they are now focusing more on the residents' health.
Aside from cartoon mascot, officials also claimed that the cereal boxes also exclude essential nutritional information, as stated by the country's consumer protection agency.
Because of the current issues with Kellogg, around 380,000 cereal boxes were seized in Mexico.
Will This Affect Kellogg's Cereal Business?
Right now, the multinational food manufacturing company hasn't released any statement regarding the raids involving its products.
This means that it is still unclear if Kellogg will remove its popular cartoon mascots just to make sales in Mexico. According to Newsweek's latest report, Kellogg became popular with kids because of its child-friendly characters.
These include Toucan Sam, a toucan bird that is featured in Kellogg's popular Froot Loops cereal brand. On the other hand, Snap, Crackle, and Pop of Rice Krispies played important roles in the food agency's popularity.
A 2014 study conducted by the U.S Center for Biotechnology Information revealed that cartoon mascots could create a parasocial relationship with young people. This is why many cereal brands and other junk foods rely on fictional characters to attract kids.