General Mills seven reformulated cereals
General Mills released its first wave of new cereal recipes, which includes Trix, Reese’s Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios.

MINNEAPOLIS — Last summer, General Mills, Inc. said it would remove artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources from all of its cereals by the end of 2017. On Jan. 19, the company released its first wave of new cereal recipes, which includes Trix, Reese’s Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios.

The launch of the seven updated cereal recipes comes less than two weeks after the release of the new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which outlines a growing need for consumers to add more whole grains in their diet.

Lesley Shiery, General Mills
Lesley Shiery, R.D., senior nutrition scientist, Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills

“We are thrilled to see the 2015 Dietary Guidelines continue to recommend making half of your grains whole and recognizing 16 grams of whole grain as a serving, which wasn’t in the previous Guidelines,” said Lesley Shiery, R.D., senior nutrition scientist, Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills. “All of our Big G cereals contain at least 10 grams of whole grain per serving and many also deliver under-consumed nutrients for specific populations like vitamins A, C, D, calcium and iron.”

General Mills defines an artificial flavor or color as an ingredient that is derived from something other than a plant, spice or another substance found in nature. The updated General Mills’ cereal recipes now include fruit and vegetables juices, as well as spice extracts such as turmeric and annatto to achieve the red, yellow, orange and purple colors in Trix and Fruity Cheerios. Reese’s Puffs and Golden Grahams will incorporate natural vanilla flavor to achieve the same taste that adults and children have come to expect, General Mills said.

Lauren Mehler Pradhan, General Mills
Lauren Pradhan, senior marketing manager for wellness strategy in the Cereal division

“Our General Mills Big G cereal team is always listening to consumers about how we can improve our cereals and make them better, including removing artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources,” said Lauren Pradhan, senior marketing manager for wellness strategy in the Cereal division. “The updated recipes hitting the cereal aisle this month deliver great taste and core benefits like whole grains to help moms and dads feel great about enjoying cereal with their family again.”

To build awareness surrounding the updated cereal recipes, General Mills said it is launching a national advertising campaign titled “Again.” The campaign highlights the company’s journey to remove artificial flavors and colors. To watch the full “Again” advertisement spot, click here.

With the introduction of the new recipes, General Mills said it is now 75% of the way to completing its goal to remove artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources from all of its cereals by the end of 2017.