When I saw Cheerios in my parent’s pantry, my stomach dropped to the floor, steam came out of my nose and I almost flipped a lid. But then I reminded myself that my Dad who bought this very popular cereal isn’t on Facebook, so he hadn’t seen my posts about how Cheerios can contain several different GMO ingredients nor had he seen that I was actively involved in a campaign as a Steering Committee member of GMO Inside to get GMOs removed from Cheerios.
It wasn’t his fault that he was buying this stuff, he was in the dark, like many of us still are. I mean, this cereal is even sold at places like Whole Foods for goodness sakes! It is estimated that 6.4 million people in the US start their day with a bowl of Cheerios. Geez.
Cheerios Can Contain Several GMO Ingredients
Cheerios is one of the first solid foods introduced to most children when they start to eat. To expose our children and ourselves to GMOs is a big mistake, considering all the health implications that are being seen with their introduction to the food supply.
The commercials talking about how wholesome Cheerios are and how your grandparents ate Cheerios and how they are the same today make me want to hurl something at the TV because they are all marketing lies. Cheerios have been in fact changed through out the years to include genetically engineered ingredients. These ingredients were added after it was introduced into the United States & Canada sometime after 1996, right under our noses.
The report titled “Deception at General Mills: The Real CSR Report” by Green America & GMO Inside revealed a startling comparison. Take a look at what Cheerios was made with in 1945 and what it is made with now:
1945 ingredients: oat flour, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, malted wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamine (Vitamin B1), and riboflavin
2013 Ingredients: whole grain oats (includes the oat bran), modified corn starch, sugar, Salt, tripotassium phosphate, wheat Starch, vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness. (Likely GMO ingredients in bold and red).
General mills claims to manufacture wholesome and healthy products when, in reality, its brands have changed over time to include GMOs. While General Mills promotes Cheerios for its use of whole grain oats, stating, “the whole grain oats in Cheerios cereal are natural,” it is silent about the fact that many of the other ingredients in Cheerios sold in the U.S., including modified corn starch, sugar, vitamin e, canola, and natural flavors, are at high risk of being genetically modified.
See all the potential sources of GMO ingredients in a sampling of Cheerio products here (GMO ingredients are listed in red):
General Mill’s Voluntarily Removed GMOs From Their Products In Europe But Not For The US or Canada
When Europe decided to enact GMO labeling, General Mills voluntarily removed GMOs from all their Cheerios products overseas. The report details out the difference in ingredients and exposes General Mills for exploiting Americans & Canadians by using GMOs here but not in Europe. This is the same stuff Kraft pulled with their Macaroni & Cheese, when Europe enacted GMO labeling. Instead of labeling their European products with “contain genetically engineered ingredients” – they voluntarily took the GMOs out and replaced them with natural conventional ingredients.
Take a look at some example Cheerios products from Europe below – none of them contain GMOs. This makes you wonder how you can trust a company that is feeding our friends across the pond safer foods, while feeding us untested and harmful ingredients back home – and to their own fellow citizens! Is it too much to ask the same for us in the United States of America? How much do our sickness, obesity, and mortality rates have to worsen before they respond to us?
General Mill’s Cheerios Parent Company Is Giving Millions Of Dollars To Prevent GMO-Labeling
Adding insult to injury, General Mills has spent $1.1 million to oppose GMO labeling legislation in CA, thus perpetuating consumer deception. In Washington State, General Mills is covertly funding the campaign opposing labeling initiative 522 through the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). (Breaking – The GMA is getting sued for hiding the sources of these funds right now). General Mills’ CEO Ken Powell is the vice chair of the GMA, which to date has given $7.2 million to fight I-522. Polls of Americans demonstrate that more than 93 percent support the labeling of GMOs. General Mills has ignored growing consumer concerns about GMOs and failed to even label their products that contain GMOs. Instead, the company defends GMOs as safe and beneficial.
Vote With Your Dollars, Choose Safe Brands
I understand many people have grown up with Cheerios and want alternatives and they are wondering what to do next considering this startling deception by General Mills. This chart below details out good alternatives to Cheerios that are both non-GMO and organic. It also shows you other brands that don’t make the cut. Please share with your family and friends and encourage them to stop buying Cheerios.
5 Ways To Take Action Now
So what else can you do about this? Take at least one if not all of the actions below:
- Sign petition to General Mills’ CEO
- Call General Mills at (800) 248 – 7310
- Post on the Cheerios Facebook page
- Read the full report “Deception at General Mills: The Real CSR Report”
- Watch a new video about the concerns with GMOs in Cheerios
When you sign the petition, you are asking General Mills to be a leader by:
- Removing GMOs from all General Mills products – Starting with Cheerios (by 2015), General Mills will responsibly source its products’ ingredients from sources that are certified non-GMO or organic.General Mills will commit to and publish a timeline with incremental deadlines to shift its entire portfolio to non-GMO sources by 2018 (Including all Cheerios varieties, all cereals, and all other food categories.)
- Testing for and Labeling GMOs – During the transition period from its current GMO-intensive supply chain to a non-GMO supply chain, General Mills should test its supply chain for GMOs and voluntarily label its GMO ingredients in all products that contain or likely contain GMOs.
- Ending all opposition to GMO labeling – General Mills will commit to spend no money against state and federal GMO labeling initiatives. General Mills will encourage the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) to end its opposition to GMO labeling. General Mills will offset its contribution through the GMA to “No on I-522” (Washington State’s ballot initiative for GMO labeling) by contributing the same amount to “Yes on I-522” or in support of a future state labeling initiative.
Holding these companies accountable is just as important as voting with our dollars.
If you know someone who might still be buying and consuming Cheerios – please share this post with them. And if you know anyone in Washington State, make sure you tell them how important it is to vote yes on 1-522!
Thank you for your support. You are the Food Babe Army – and I love you!
Food Babe
Wow… I hate this. How dare cheerios do this to the consumers! After watching, reading, and researching, I have tried to make my family healthier. We don’t by Cheerios often, because we buy granola or other cereals from Whole foods. But, despite my protest, my mom still buys disgusting, non-organic, GMO filled cereal and junk food from our local grocery store. I’m only in 8th grade and I’m determined to change peoples life for the better, and I want to become a dietician, so I support the non-GMO movement.
Good for you Chey!! I’m an adult and my mom still doesn’t listen to me about how harmful GMO’s can be! Keep up your good work about being informed and eating right. It is great to hear of a child taking a stand for their health 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Way to go Chey! We need more young leaders like you, starting at your age, you can make a big positive difference in this world. Keep up the good work!
I wouldn’t even think of purchasing a boxed cereal, for one I don’t eat it but, why not promote eating no grains instead? Much healthier and all of those organic cereals are filled with other unnecessary ingredients. And then once it’s processed into a cereal any of those said grains lose most of their vitamin and mineral content anyways. :/ Ugh I hate things in a box.
I noticed when I bought Kashi Heart to Heart Cinnamon Harvest that it was non-GMO certified, when I investigated further I found that http://www.nongmoproject.org had indeed verified their findings. I think this is a great site and I love what they are doing to make the public more aware of non-gmo certified foods.
You might want to check cornucopia.org and you will find a gazillion other recognizable names that oppose GMO disclosure.
Medical care demands will not decrease until hydrogenated oils, High Fructose Corn Syrup and derivatives, artificial sweeteners, and GMO products are BANNED by our governing agencies. Of course that will never happen because it is BIG BUSINESS.
Truly disgusting.
I hate that Cheerios contain GMOs, especially since they are fed to infants and young toddlers frequently as a finger food!
Signing the petition for sure. What puzzles me is why we allow it and Europe does not? I would love General Mills to explain why they have two different recipes. I can only assume why, but an honest, straight answer would be nice. We’ve got to vote with our wallets and speak up.
How does Europe really know that there are no GMO’s in the foods shipped from the US? Do they just take their word for it or do they perform random tests?
Usually foods that are different in Europe are made in Europe and not shipped from the US. Such as Marlboro Cigarettes, it is an American company but all the packs of Marlboro’s sold in Europe are manufactured in Switzerland I believe (or somewhere else in Europe) and you can taste the difference. The same goes with foods (just using cigarettes as an example)
Foods in Europe are completely produced differently than in the U.S. Also ANY food that is made in the U.S. has to be re-labeled and includes “WARNINGs” for harmful ingredients (including GMO ingredients and other chemicals that are banned or heavily regulated in the EU). Trust me I have shopped over there regularly and in the grocery stores they have a USA section and ALL the products are re-labeled with WARNINGS and if you compare the European counterparts like Vani did…they have totally different ingredients. It is truly disgusting and sad….it is also truly disgusting and sad how much most Americans are in denial…(and yes I am an American….who refuses to eat any of the disgusting mass-produced junk).
Thanks for the feedback.
Makes me wonder why these companies are fighting labeling so hard in the states since they are already labeling for Europe with all the warnings, etc.
Does anyone know where cigarettes sold on cruise ships are made? What about the food served on cruise ships? Where does it come from?
Signed that petition! Every little bit helps. It would be nice if the ones making all the money would think of someone other than themselves. If no one is around to buy their product because we all turn up dead from eating all these GMOs, who’s gonna make them money??? Jerks. I am NOT a science experiment!!!
Any news on Barbaras Shredded Spoonfuls??
okay people note the word ‘likely” in all of this crap…..
What about Whole Food’s Organic Morning O’s?
I don’t want to petition General Mills. I want them to fail in business if they refuse to change their ways. I communicate with my grocery dollars and they get NONE of them. Putting a company that willfully engages in evil is more satisfying than “saving them”. They should now be economically irredeemable.
The problem shouldn’t even come up, if you’re serious about your health you should not be eating anything processed and especially anything with sugar or refined carbohydrates.
Toxic Sugar
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3821440.htm
Agreed! That’s an awesome video. Thanks for sharing.
This short video explains about the health of breakfast cereals in general and ends with organic breakfast cereals. Very Interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCtI3gGP8Y
Thanks for sharing this! What an eye opening video! I have read a lot about extruded cereal and it’s very alarming.
What I wish I could find is an easy guide to the “parent” companies of food brands. I never knew Kashi was a Kellogg’s product. I fell for the all-natural BS.
Does anyone know where I could find such a list or breakdown?
Thank you.
Here you go!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/consumer-brands-owned-ten-companies-graphic_n_1458812.html
Click on the picture and then it will take you to another browser where you can zoom.
O…M…G!
Thank you.
so the first thing i did was reach for the Trader Joes brand and it is identical….booooohooooboooohoooo. I guess I cant eat it anymore.:(
Yea thats how I feel at this point!!
In response to the European ones. It’s true they do not contain GMOs, however did you look at the amount of sugar they contain? All of them are sugar-coated. The four Cheerios products here are 20-24% sugar. Also, Cheerios are produced by Nestle in Europe, not General Mills.
Don’t eat ANY American-grown, wheat-based foodstuff, EVER.
I refer you to the book “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis. He has lecture videos on youTube.
wheatbellyblog.com
Remember, to be organic it has to be non-gmo.
Since Geneal Mills is the parent company of both Cascadian Farm and Cheerios, are we to relieve that the organic Cascdiaf Farm O’s are truly any better? We have been buying the former under the belief that they were “healthy”. Weren’t aware of the parent company though. How can the same people make such polar opposite food types?
They just care about profit. They find something the consumer wants and then they make and offer it to compete against everybody else. It’s a Food Monopoly!
They told us cigarettes were safe, they told us DDT was safe, they told us PCB’s were safe, you are telling me Round Up is safe, yet you have to wear all kinds of protective gear when spraying it on the food I eat, let me as a consumer make the CHOICE and stop trying to hide what is in your products just because they are cheaper when your ONLY concern is fourth quarter profits. I AM Tired of corporations telling us what is safe only to find out years later it is not! Give me the CHOICE!
Wow! I wonder why there is such a difference in the UK/ US versions of the same cereal. Once thing I do know for sure is that when I am in the states (I live in the UK), the food seems to contain much more sugar and salt (depending on what you buy). I am talking about food when eating out…I don’t buy cereals.
cheerios are given for the WIC program.
Nice report. Thanks. Just posted it on Pinterest. Now how about hot cereal for this winter?
Here’s Vani’s SUPER QUICK tips for making oatmeal!
https://foodbabe.com/2012/08/27/how-to-ruin-oatmeal/
When I started to read this, I laughed but not in a good way. It was more like “I hear ya type of way.” I recently had to do some grocery shopping for my parents. My dad eats Cheerios. I couldn’t handle it, and I bought him the organic/no-GMO Cheerios. I also bought them organic milk (I told them it was more expensive, but I used my OWN money for it). I also substituted a few other things – some of them they sort of “liked.” They are back to doing their own grocery shopping, buying Cheerios, and everything else. It’s so frustrating!! People think organic food is the “fake” food, not the opposite. I started a new Facebook Group called Killing U.S. Softly – GMOs. I have 533 friends on Facebook – there are 15 friends in this group (some are not even my FB friends). Don’t be afraid of the truth. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Keep up the good work!
I’m glad to hear you did this for your parents. I will definitely check out your Facebook group!
Thank you. I just wish they would continue with it. One person at a time. I enjoy your posts very much. Everyone is welcome: https://www.facebook.com/groups/240345452788482/
I just wish they would keep it up! Everyone is welcome to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/240345452788482/
So what cereal do you recommend??
I knew it!!! Everytime I eat honey nut cherrioes my stomach hurts about 20 minutes later!!!! Every single time. It’s a weird kind of pain too. Never eating them again!
As a former child care worker, I learned the worst thing about children’s cereal is that most of it is considered candy since it has so much sugar in it. Cherrios at least have fiber and less sugar than most other cereals. I’d still buy cherrios for my kids since it’s much better than the alternatives.
Hi!
Thankfully, for now, this is a non-issue for me as we no longer eat cereal – well, we don’t eat much of anything that comes in a box anymore. Cereal mostly due to the high sugar content – and, it is processed, afterall. It was hard, cause I loved cereal as a snack – but alas, those days are gone. I gave it up even way before the GMO thing became such an issue – even the organic brands. And when I became GF, well that was even more reason – there weren’t any GF cereals at that point like there are now.
Thanks!
Martie
I couldn’t help but notice – on the chart, there were some with “Non GMO and Organic” and some labeled as just “Organic”… I could see how somethings could be non GMO but not organic, but can companies really put the organic label on something that is grown without pesticides, but still contains GMOs?
Why is Cascadian Farms rated a “B”?
My mother is 83 (and as healthy as that proverbial horse, she has never had a health issue, never taken a pill except a daily multi-vitamin) and she has had a bowl of Cheerios for lunch every day for over 20 years. Just sayin’.
When I signed the petition for General Mills, they responded with a very nice form letter. It stated that they would prefer a national strategy for GMO labeling instead of having the states create their own labeling laws. Great, but we don’t have a national initiative at this time.
Therefore, I sent back a response to them asking them to lead the charge. Start labeling their products. Don’t wait for legislation to tell you what to do, be the leader. BTW – isn’t that what we try to teach our children?
I haven’t heard back but hopefully I’ll receive something other than a form letter.
Thanks for all your work!
I will not purchase any food product from General MIlls and have not for years..It is not only full of GMO’s which I deplore..but also contains TSP (tri sodium phosphate)..I have worn rubber gloves while using this toxic chemical to clean smoke stained walls…It is a chemical that burns the skin. It is used in Genral Mills cereals to soften and whiten the fibers..I called them on it many years ago when I first saw this in the ingredients list. My grand children were eating it on their high chair trays for snacks I was shocked..General Mills told me that they used only the amount that is safe for human consumption..It is still in their products..I have not pruchased a single box of one of their cereals or any of their other products in over 20 years!!!
Your article states “Cheerios CAN Contain Several GMO Ingredients”, how do we know if they DEFINITELY do or not?
Vani, while most of the information is correct.please stop lobbying for or against a particular brand.
Kashi is in the list of Non -Gmo products.Not yet is a misleading indicator on the chart you have posted above.
Here is the link to Non-gmo verified product website.Kashi cereals,a lot of them are on their OK list.
http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/?catID=7
My dad has been eating triscuits & drinking Arizona iced tea… I want to die. He poo poos my constant badgering. Obnoxious but I cannot teach an old dog new tricks! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Haha you crack me up Gigi! I deal with the same thing with my dad. Baby steps!
More uninformed hyperbole ! This type of BS has led to starving nations turning down food, get a clue. Nature modifies the genetic code ALL the time – ur an idiot if you think an ear of corn looks the same today as 200 yrs ago, the Russet potato is another “natural” good that is genetically modified via selection stress.
i can post studies all days for you who say…theres no proof this…theres no proof that…thers no proof that is safe too, and the studies were made by them…lol…of course they say it is safe,,,they want to sell it.
grow your own food-filter your tap water..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aPaKDeh5H8
Stop the ridiculous hype. There has been no reliable studies to show GMO’s are dangerous. If you feel that strogy then you should not eat any fruits and vegetables because they have all been genetically engineered over the years.
Cascadian Farms parent company, General Mills, spends mucho money to defeat GMO labeling state by sate, and federally. They got a B on your list, but they should have gotten an F if your criteria for the ratings were addressing the full problem. PLEASE inform people fully.
Companies have and are spending millions trying to stop GM labeling on their products because they are afraid of a consumer backlash. If GM Foods are safe why aren’t they just spending that same money on INDEPENDENTLY proving that GM Foods are safe, end of argument. What do THEY KNOW that they DON’T want us to know. Remember BIG TOBACCO AND THEIR LIES. In Australia the product has to contain more than %5 GM ingredient to have to be labelled. So all of the bread that now contains Soy Lecithin doesn’t have to be labelled because it is less than %5
I love how people get all up in arms about gmo foods but continue to pump hormonal birth control into their bodies. Do the research on bc as well, good people.
If you write an article or blog post about a topic with the purpose to inform, you might want to actually define the topic about which you’re speaking. After reading the first few paragraphs of this article (and skimming the rest), I still have no idea what a GMO is or stands for. Just a suggestion.
can someone tell me how modified corn starch and Vitamin-E have anything to do, at all, with GMO? They contain no genetic ingredients and it is irrelevant where they came from.
That’s like saying Non-GMO Sugar. Seriously?
I appreciate that these discussion chains originated a number of months ago but was this article written prior to Original Cheerios including the statement ‘Not made with genetically modified ingredients’ on their website/boxes. This is listed in the Ingredients + Nutritional Information section at http://www.cheerios.com/Products/Cheerios.aspx.
I appreciate that this is still a processed food but I’m interested to know if the non-GMO statement listed on their product is accurate or whether that was also being challenged as part of the original article
If the statement is legitimate and is a result of this investigation, then thanks to those who have made this possible.
hey i wanted to forward an email i got from gm about the new gmo-free cherrieos as well as a copy of my initail email sent courtesy of gm….
Hello Adam Shumway:
Thank you for contacting General Mills with your inquiry.
Cheerios with the non-GMO label has started shipping from plants the end of December 2013. On-shelf dates will vary by store—depending on store rotation, and how quickly product moves in each store. For a time, both products (without the non-GMO label and with the non-GMO label) may appear on store shelves at the same time. After Yellow Box Cheerios without the non-GMO label is gone from stores, only non-GMO Yellow Box Cheerios will be available.
To be able this Non GMO, all ingredients would have to be GMO free, including the Vitamins, and minerals.
No. We were able to do this on original Cheerios, because the main ingredient is whole grain oats – and there are no GMO oats. Some Cheerios varieties use other grains, such as corn, that may be grown from GM seed. But the simple and unique nature of original Cheerios made this possible
We hope you find this information helpful. Please let us know if we can help you again.
Thank you,
Norma Stone
Customer Care Specialist
Consumer Services
>Original Message From: [email protected]
>
>Originated by Consumer: hi i am a long time cheerios fan i was sad when i realized you used gmos in your cereal. i was sad and decided not to buy my favorite cereal anymore then you announce that you are going gmo free. i am grateful of this as i think gmos are poison! i have a few questions when will it be hitting the selves in schenectady new york? as im aware that you will probably be selling out the old gmo filled versions before you ship the gmo free kind. i was also wondering about the source of the vitamins you put in your cereal will you get certified 100% organic real natural vitamins or the old gmo kind? and lastly will you being releasing all flavors eventually in gmo free version? thanks in advance for your time and response as im sure im not the only person asking!
can u please redact my email addy as i dont want spam from others lol
I read recently that they are changingall cherios to non gmo is this false?
according to the email i recived from gm yes that is false only the original version will be because “there are no gmo oats” or so the rep said in the email lol which i posted above.
I for one am sick of seeing “sign a petition”, “calling”, and “Facebooking” this deceptive company as an option. No, what we need to do is hit them and AAAAALL the other greedy deceptive companies where it hurts the most: their wallets. It’s about time we create something “of the people, by the people, and for the people”… I propose an entire week of not buying anything from them or any other fast food companies. ( Subway included) Or a fund set aside where millions or billions of people set aside as little as $5 in support of GMO labeling. Otherwise, I don’t see them acting/operating on our behalf any time soon. This disgusts me….
You guys are missing the #1 food contaminant on earth ACRYLAMIDE.
It is ALL the taste in 84 % of our man made products. Our foundation has the lawsuit against General Mills, Post and Kelloggs in Los Angeles Superior Court re the cereal content. Our scientist say they can not stop as it would remove all these products from store shelves in USA, for at least the time to reformulate. Europe has already forced most of the food companies to go to synthetic substitutes but not here in US as our sources can prove the P&G people at least in bed with FDA.
Our consent judgments of 2009 should have brought remedy by the Europe use of the stuff from Nestle, but it appears to be slighty less tasty.
Subway bread is another source, and the tests we are doing this week will confirm that view.
Best, as you have a nice stage for this type of populous awareness.
Doris Nichols
The mixed tocopherols are in many organic cereals – do we know for sure cheerios is derived from GMOs?
I just saw today 5/2014 in Costco in MD, non-gmo cheerios. Not certified. Just below the ingredients, it says “not made with genetically modified ingredients”. Should I belive it?
Confirmed by the website in here! The 2014 original Cheerios (yellow box only) have no genetically modified ingredients (but they are not certified).