Nutrition & Health
CEEREAL members further improve the nutritional value of breakfast cereals
CEEREAL members are committed to continuing their reformulation and innovation efforts and further increase the variety of their offer to give people a large range of healthy and tasty options.
Between 2015 and 2025, the sales-weighted average wholegrain content grew by almost 23% and the fibre content by 21.1% while the sugar content decreased by 18.2%. 1On a sales-weighted basis for recipes constituting 85% of volume sales in the EU and the UK in 2015 and 2025. In 2026, the data source was further expanded for all years, providing an even more accurate picture of how product contents have changed over time.
In the same period, for children’s products, the sale-weighted average whole grain content grew by 47.3%, and the fibre content by 84%, while the sugar content decreased by 29.6%. 2Based on a sales-weighted average of children’s products sold in the EU and the UK in 2015 and 2025.
In 2025, as much as 60.1% of breakfast cereals sold by CEEREAL members were fortified, amounting to 9.2 billion fortified breakfast cereal servings sold in the same year across Europe.
CEEREAL members help people choose a nutritious and balanced breakfast
We provide consumers with consistent information that will help them identify and choose a nutritious and balanced breakfast option and better understand its benefits.
The breakfast cereal industry has been at the forefront of applying national nutritional labelling schemes – either voluntarily or in compliance with the law.
Spotlight on PORTion SIZES
To complement mandatory nutrition information, CEEREAL has developed guidance on portion sizes of breakfast cereals. The guidance gives people a more realistic idea of how much they should consume and how this contributes to their overall energy and nutrient intake.
CEEREAL members advertise responsibly and promote the benefits of breakfast
We do not engage in marketing communications to children in primary schools, early childhood education centres or children’s care service centres across the EU27, except where specifically requested by, or agreed with, the school administration for educational purposes.
Some members have submitted commitments under voluntary international initiatives, such as the EU Pledge, the International Food & Beverage alliance (IFBA) or the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Business and Marketing Behaviour, which aim to change the way of advertising to children.
CEEREAL and some of its members are part of the Whole Grain Initiative, which aims to promote the incrase of whole grain consumption.
At CEEREAL, nutrition, health and consumer information issues are addressed in the Working Group on Nutrition, Communications and Sustainability.
Spotlight on Fibre
Dietary fibre is associated with positive health benefits, the most recognised being maintaining digestive health as well as lower risks of a number of non-communicable diseases. Breakfast cereals are an important source of dietary fibre as well as of vitamins, minerals and whole grain and a convenient way to increase daily intakes.
- 1On a sales-weighted basis for recipes constituting 85% of volume sales in the EU and the UK in 2015 and 2025. In 2026, the data source was further expanded for all years, providing an even more accurate picture of how product contents have changed over time.
- 2Based on a sales-weighted average of children’s products sold in the EU and the UK in 2015 and 2025.