Washington - Xinhua
\"Before you pour your child a bowl of cereal, you should be aware that some popular cereals contain whopping amounts of sugar.\"This is stated in a study by the Environmental Working Group, which revealed eye-popping comparisons of sugar content in some popular cookies and snack cakes in U.S.After reviewing 84 popular cereals, the Environmental Working Group came out with a list of the 10 worst children’s cereals.According to the Los Angeles Times, only one-fourth of the 84 cereals tested meet the voluntarily proposed guidelines of the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketing, a group of federal nutrition, marketing and health experts brought together to make suggestions about the nutritional quality of food marketed to children and teens.The proposed guidelines, said the Environmental Working Group, recommend that ready-to-eat cereals have no more than 26 percent added sugar by weight.Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, Post Golden Crisp and General Mills Wheaties Fuel rank as the worst offenders based on the Twinkie measure, said the study.A single one-cup bowl of an additional 44 cereals, including the popular Honey Nut Cheerios, Apple Jacks and Cap’n Crunch, are equivalent to eating three Chips Ahoy cookies — about three teaspoons of sugar.The study came at a time when the federal government is considering voluntary guidelines for foods marketed to children as obesity rates among kids remain high.Juice, cereals, snacks and desserts are being scrutinized for added sugar content as well as other nutritional pitfalls such as saturated fat and sodium.