A quiet transformation has taken place in Europe’s breakfast bowls over the past decade
Brussels, 16 June 2026 – New data from CEEREAL reveals that between 2015 and 2025, members of the European Breakfast Cereal Association, significantly improved the nutritional value of their products, reflecting years of gradual reformulation and innovation across the sector. The average whole grain content of breakfast cereals increased by almost 23%, while the fibre content rose by 21%. Over the same period, the average sugar content decreased by 18%.
Children’s products saw a sharp increase in whole grain and fibre, rising by 47% and 84% respectively, alongside a nearly 30% reduction in sugar. This signals a clear effort from breakfast cereal manufacturers to improve everyday breakfast options for families.
The results come as Brussels intensifies its focus on healthy diets with the European Commission’s 2025 Safe Hearts Plan putting renewed emphasis on reformulation. Against this backdrop, CEEREAL’s data demonstrates that voluntary industry action contributes to the kind of outcomes that EU health policy is aiming for at scale.
In addition to reformulation and innovation achievements, CEEREAL data also shows that in 2025, 60% of breakfast cereals sold were fortified with vitamins and minerals. This represents approximately 9.2 billion fortified breakfast cereal servings sold across Europe during the year – making breakfast cereals an important contributor to the daily intake of vitamins and minerals.
Together, the findings point to a clear evolution of the category, with products continuously evolving to deliver improved nutrition while preserving the taste and quality consumers expect. Manufacturers are taking their responsibility and commitment seriously to providing consumers with safe, nutritious, sustainable and enjoyable breakfast options that support balanced diets and healthier lifestyles.
“Today’s results demonstrate the voluntary efforts and measurable progress achieved by Europe’s breakfast cereal manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of their products while continuing to offer consumers a broad range of safe, nutritious and enjoyable options”, said Ece Nevra Göncü, President of CEEREAL.
“The substantial increase in whole grain and fibre, combined with sustained sugar reduction, reflects our sector’s long-term commitment to innovation and public health objectives. Breakfast cereals continue to play an important role in supporting consumers’ nutritional needs across different age groups, including through fortified products that can help improve the intake of essential vitamins and minerals.”
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Disclaimer: Overall results are based on sales-weighted averages for recipes representing 85% of volume sales among products sold by CEEREAL members in the EU and the UK in 2015 and 2025. For children’s products, results are based on the sales-weighted average of products sold in the EU and the UK during the same years. In 2026, the underlying dataset was further expanded across all reporting years, providing an even more accurate representation of how product composition has evolved over time.
Additional information
- Systematic Review: Link to Exec Summary, link to full publication
- Reformulation case studies from CEEREAL members
- Statements on whole grain, fibre, and sugars.