There are no GMO oats in the United States. So a cereal made primarily from oats would seemingly be GMO free, but it isn't. Welcome to the corporate food structure.
Cheerios wants to change that for its flagship cereal. While oats is the major ingredient in Cheerios, General Mills was using GMO corn starch and sugar. The company vows to substitute non-GMO versions for those ingredients … but only in regular Cheerios.
For those who follow cereal trends, the latest varieties of Cheerios are corn-based rather than oat-based; lots of GMO corn to be found. But even Honey Nut and Apple Cinnamon will still contain GMO ingredients.
Cynics might note that General Mills is only exploiting an anti-GMO trend. Well, exploit away.
About a year ago, General Mills CEO Kendall Powell stated that GMOs were environmentally beneficial and safe for human consumption. So General Mills is now saying regular Cheerios should be free of GMOs because of GMOs, yet okay for their other cereals. 'Tis a difficult task to accomplish.
We are assuming that General Mills will keep separate facilities for regular Cheerios. Don't want any GMO sugar rubbing off on non-GMO Cheerios.
General Mills may not have thought of this angle, but by making the flagship Cheerios GMO-free, the company thwarts the generic market. If GMOs are a huge concern, buying the generic version will lead to GMOs but paying more for the brand name will lead to no GMOs.
You aren't getting much GMOs in the current incarnation of Cheerios. The cereal is fairly low in sugar and, presumably, corn starch. But the anti-GMO audience wants zero GMOs, and that is what General Mills is counting on.
Mixing metaphors, Sierra Mist is the only major soft drink brand to be free of high-fructose corn syrup. While that is wonderful, Sierra Mist is on the low end of soft drink options, even for consumers who care deeply on the subject. Whereas Cheerios is one of the most popular cereals, especially among those who aren't sugar-riddled children.
If you are choosing between Cheerios and Wheaties, and if GMOs matter, you would pick Cheerios. Well, GMO wheat isn't a major issue at the moment, and Wheaties likely has GMO ingredients. Cheerios success can lead to other major cereals taking the same step.
General Mills CEO Kendall Powell can make that move swiftly for Wheaties since the company owns that cereal, too.
Those who are concerned about GMOs are buying cereals that are GMO-free from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's or some similar place. You can also find GMO-free cereals at traditional supermarkets, but chances are people in this category are buying other GMO-free foods.
The Cheerios move is a canary in a coal mine, a sign that average consumers will care enough about the move to increase sales of the flagship Cheerios. The real growth in the Cheerios move is whether other cereals get similar treatment.
Sierra Mist stands alone against high-fructose corn syrup. If Cheerios stands alone against GMOs in 18 months, then the experiment will have failed. Corn-based cereals won't change, barring a miracle. But with wheat and oats, many other cereals should take the plunge if only to increase their sales. Their customers will benefit, too.
Photo credit: General Mills
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