Kellogg to stop marketing sugary foods to children

Kellogg Co., the largest U.S. cereal maker, said it would stop marketing foods high in sugar, fat and calories to children under 12, avoiding a potential lawsuit from two consumer groups.

Kellogg said in a statement Wednesday that it would make Honey Smacks cereal, Yogos fruit snacks and other products healthier by the end of 2008 or stop promoting them to kids through the use of cartoon characters such as Dig’em the frog.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood threatened to sue Kellogg last year on evidence that sugary, fatty foods contributed to childhood obesity.

Half of the products Kellogg markets to kids don’t meet new nutrition standards the company has set for itself.

The groups said they would not proceed with a suit.

The new standards will apply for all types of media including Saturday morning cartoons and website activities. Such promotions account for 27% of Kellogg’s U.S. ad spending.