Monsanto called out “GMO-free Cheerios” for what they are—a marketing stunt (2024)

FAQs

What is the controversy with Cheerios? ›

Four out of five Americans are being exposed to a little-known chemical found in popular oat-based foods — including Cheerios and Quaker Oats — that is linked to reduced fertility, altered fetal growth and delayed puberty.

Multi Grain Cheerios are the only Cheerios variety that has just one likely GMO ingredient in its first three ingredients listed. The likely GMO ingredient however is its first-listed and most abundant ingredient: Whole Grain Corn. This Whole Grain Corn is almost certainly genetically modified.

How much glyphosate is in Cheerios? Obviously no one is spraying Cheerios with Roundup before it's boxed up and shipped to your local grocery store. However, glyphosate is occasionally sprayed on oats as a drying agent.

The FDA indicates that General Mills' use of this health claim causes Cheerios to be a misbranded food because it has not been authorized by either regulation or the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to bear such a claim.

Although Cheerios are made with whole grain oats, which sets them apart from other cereals made with more refined grains like corn flour or white rice, many Cheerios varieties are packed with unhealthy ingredients like cane sugar, corn syrup, and preservatives ( 13 ).

GMOs are organisms—plants, animals, or microorganisms—that have their genetic material altered in a way that does not occur naturally, either by mating or natural recombination (Zhang et al., 2016). Bioengineered products, on the other hand, use biotechnology to produce a desirable characteristic in organisms.

"We switched from what we were using to non-GMO corn and non-GMO pure sugar cane," said General Mills (GIS) spokesman Mike Siemienas. He said the company did not change the formula and has never used genetically modified oats. The company said that it has always used whole grain oats.

Food that contains genetic material that has been modified through certain laboratory techniques and for which the modification could not be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.

Due to presence of undeclared wheat flour in gluten-free Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios produced in July in Lodi, California, General Mills has issued a recall of 1.8 million boxes of cereal.

What cereal is the healthiest? ›

If a large amount is swallowed, glyphosate can cause nausea and vomiting. It can be very irritating if it is left on your skin or eyes. Glyphosate has been associated with respiratory effects (lung and nose), such as irritation in the nose, or asthma, in people using glyphosate products.

A few fresh fruit and vegetables are available in GMO varieties, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples.

Chlormequat, a pesticide linked to reproductive and developmental issues in animals, is garnering attention after a study showed that it was prevalent in a number of oat-based foods. This includes brand names like Cheerios and Quaker Oats.

Cheerios were introduced on May 2, 1941, as "Cheerioats". The name was shortened to "Cheerios" on December 2, 1945, after a competing cereal manufacturer, Quaker Oats, claimed to hold the rights to use the term "oats". Cheerios' production was based upon the extrusion process invented for Kix in 1937.