As you may know, on March 30, the Kellogg Company quietly disclosed that they would begin adding peanut flour to existing varieties of their Keebler and Austin crackers that previously bore no warning of peanut content. Many caretakers rely on these products to be peanut-free and safe for children with peanut allergies and have done so for years.
To express our concern that Kellogg’s plan would put members of the allergic community at risk for anaphylaxis, we started a petition on Change.org urging the company to reconsider. Last week Thursday, a copy of that petition along with the first 15,000 signatures was delivered to John A Bryant, President and CEO of Kellogg’s. Last night, with the support of a dedicated community, the petition garnered it’s 20,000th signature and continues to build momentum.
Despite our outreach to Kellogg’s, the company remains silent. To date, Mr Bryant has not directed the issuance of a press release, a statement on their website, nor a post on their social media properties warning of the impending ingredient change and explaining their reasoning for introducing the most allergenic ingredient to existing products.
We suspect Kellogg’s is introducing peanut flour as a test case for raising the protein and lowering the carbohydrate content of their snacks in as inexpensive a manner as possible, part of a campaign to make their products “more healthful”. Furthermore, we suspect that this is the tip of the iceberg, in that if Kellogg’s is successful in rolling out this change, they may do so across more of their expansive product line, putting even more people at risk.
In the preface to their code of ethics, Mr Bryant extols “the culture we’ve built and the commitment we’ve made to continue earning the trust of those who love our brands.” Yet the changes his company is planning and the surreptitious way they are proceeding belies that culture and commitment he claims to foster, especially for his most vulnerable consumers.
Once again, we call on Mr Bryant to come forth (and come clean) regarding the company’s plans and address the concerns of a growing population coping with food allergies, now numbering one-in-thirteen children.
We encourage you to tweet, e-mail and voice (1-800-962-1413) your concerns to Kellogg’s, sign the petition, and share this message with family, friends, and your local media using the buttons below.
Together, we can effect the change necessary to safeguard members of the community, but only if we are vocal in our efforts and continue to apply pressure to Kellogg’s to respond to our concerns.
Other articles related to Kellogg's Action:
- Media Briefing: Kellogg’s Intentionally Adding Allergens to Products
- Petition to Kellogg’s: Do NOT Add Peanut Flour to Your Products
- Adding Insult to Injury: Kellogg’s Botches Warning to Allergic Consumers
- Is Kellogg’s Putting the Allergic at Risk to Avoid the Costs of the FSMA?
- Kellogg’s: Potential for Injury, Illness and Death is a Cost of Doing Business
- Kellogg’s Responds to Petition with Even More Dangerous Plan
- Video: Kellogg’s Petition at 15,000 Signatures
- Press Release: Kellogg’s: Don’t Add Peanut Flour to Existing Products
