If you are one of those concerned shoppers who are careful to read nutritional information before buying breakfast cereals and other products, you might wish to think twice before indulging in Telma products according to a consumer council report.
Breakfast cereals are advertised as health, contributing to the development of our children, containing vitamins and minerals.
Israel’s Association for Public Health (IAPH) conducted some research and learned that a number of Telma breakfast cereals are simply not telling it as it is, reporting sugar and fat contents as being significantly lower than is actually the case.
A study was conducted, including 150 first graders and their parents in a number of schools, revealing that 30% of the children eat cereal daily before heading out of their homes and 50% eat a sweet cereal.
A study of 170 third graders in schools around the country shows cereal is eaten by about 40% of the children with 57% eating a sweet breakfast cereal in the morning.
In response to the growing popularity of cereals, the IAPH about a year ago began a project, beginning to examine the ingredients of cereals from a number of companies. Among the items tested was Crunch (Osem), Tricks Fruit (Osem), Coco Pops (Kellogg), Ugi Choco, Cocoman Brown & White and Alufim (Telma-Unilever).
The probe set out to determine a number of factors, including sugar content, saturated fats, trans-fats, dietary fiber and sodium. The Health Ministry requires listing basic information, including calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fats and more.
Numerous samples of each cereal tested were taken during the course of a number of months. The products were purchased in supermarkets around the country and the tests were conducted by a lab approved by the Ministry of Health. In the event of results that are in contradiction with the nutritional information furnished by the company, the tests were repeated for the sake of accuracy. Five 150 gram samples were taken from each cereal, from different boxes purchased on different dates.
Ugi Choco – results per 100 grams
Telma reports sugar 20.7 while the tests show the real number to be 40.7.
Fat 6.4 (Telma) 9.4 (IAPH)
Dietary fiber 20% (both)
Sodium (no contradiction)
Cocoman (per 100 grams)
Sugar – 32 (Telma) 40.1 (IAPH)
Fat (no contradiction)
Dietary fiber – 5.4 (Telma) 3.6 (IAPH)
Sodium – 0.272 (Telma) 0.32 (IAPH) twice the European standard
Alufim line (per 100 grams)
Sugar – no listed (Telma) 9.7 (IAPH)
Fats – 0.2 (Telma) 1.8 (IAPH)
Dietary Fiber – 4.5 (Telma) 1.8 (IAPH)
Sodium (no contradiction)
The biggest difference was detected in Telma’s Ugi sugared cereal, showing 40.7 grams of sugar per 100 grams IAPH officials explain, which in plain English translates to about 8 spoons of sugar per 100 grams of cereal. That means a bowl of cereal eaten with milk or yogurt will deliver a whopping 10 spoons of sugar.
The box does not mention simple white sugar as the company is not required to do so, but it does comply with the law, listing carbs (80 grams). The simple sugar according to IAPH study comprises 50% of the carbohydrates, showing 78.1 grams while Telma lists sugar content at 20.7 gram per 100 grams.
In some cases, the amount of saturated fats was actually nine times that which was listed by Telma.
In recent years, dietary fiber has taken a prominent role in our food awareness. The “Alufim” line of Telma boasts 4.5 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams while in actuality, it contained 1.8 grams. Retesting revealed 1.7 grams.
Equally alarming and perhaps posing a medical risk to people permitted limited sodium is Cocoman Brown & White, containing 0.32 grams which is 2.5 times the recommended limit by European food monitoring agencies.
The list continues, basically attesting to the fact that what is listed on the boxes of many cereals has not bearing in fact and one has no idea what one is eating or feeding one’s children.
Telma has responded with a benign statement, explaining the report was just released and it needs time to review, promising to take any and all necessary corrective action. IAPH officials vow to continue monitoring Telma and they do not plan to let the matter fall to the wayside.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
point is that any product that is not internationly recognized has no standerds & u should stay away unless supporting jewish protucts is worth more than your life & the life of your family (anyhow there mainly arab products
I reported this last week. Look at how supermarkets set up their cereal aisles…do not purchase anything on that bottom shelf…look at cereals on the top shelf only. READ the nutrition labels, and if you can take the time, visit a nutrition class and learn how to do the ‘exchanges’ it will save your family later on.
i don’t know how anyone looking at Telma’s sugared cereals could make the mistake of thinking they are healthy. Some of Telma’s cereals need to be reserved for snacks and not considered breakfast foods. They happen to be delicious but it’s hard to fool yourself that they are in any way healthy.
In other words Israeli standards and supervision are worthless.
just this week at the shabbos table i mentioned to my kids that poor people eat healthier because they can’t afford all that junk food. this is a perfect example. those who eat homecooked oatmeal or farina have a much healthier diet.
Now I understand why some Israeli kids are so hyper when they come to school in the morning! Do you know that such a large amount of sugar day after day could cause students to exhibit signs of ADD or ADHD? I wonder how many parents never realized a connection and were sent to have their children evaluated for concentration issues or misbehavior…