SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between Nestle S.A. and General Mills, Inc., said 44 of the j.v.’s 46 Nestle and Uncle Tobys cereal brands will feature the Heart Foundation Tick in 2011. The Heart Foundation Tick is a self-funded public health program that aims to improve the nutrition of the foods Australians eat most often and deliver better nutritional health outcomes for all Australians. Foods bearing the Tick meet the program’s strict nutritional criteria and represent choices that are lower in certain nutrients (i.e. saturated fat, sodium) and/or higher in others (i.e. fiber) compared with other foods in the same food category.

“C.P.W. is delighted that almost all of our cereals have earned the Heart Foundation Tick,” said Neil Hodding, regional director for C.P.W. Oceania. “The process took us five years and it is symbolic of our promise to deliver superior nutrition to Australian families. For example, in 2008 our entire range underwent improvements that resulted in all cereals being made with whole grain and every one providing a source of fiber.”

Since 2008, C.P.W. said it has increased the whole grain content in its Fruity Bites by 50%, decreased sodium in Nut Feast by 21%, and doubled the fiber and reduced sodium in its Cheerios product.

C.P.W. said the two cereals that don’t qualify for the Tick — Nesquick and Uncle Tobys PLUS Protein Lift — are undergoing reformulations to meet the nutrient criteria.