Kellogg Says New Food Line Cuts Bad Cholesterol

Kellogg Co. unveiled a line of foods touted as reducing the bad cholesterol that leads to heart disease, expanding beyond its core cereals.

Ensemble, Kellogg’s name for the so-called functional foods, will be in stores in the Midwest by March and available nationally by next fall. The line includes frozen entrees and muffins, bread, dry pasta, baked potato crisps and cookies.

The foods are the first to contain soluble fiber from the grain psyllium or whole oats that studies show can reduce cholesterol when taken as part of a heart-healthy diet. The claim was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, allowing Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg to market the line after two years of research and development.

Kellogg said eating three servings a day of Ensemble products containing psyllium can reduce low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol by up to 9%. But those effects can be negated if the person eats other unhealthy foods and drinks.

Kellogg’s stock rose 81 cents to close at $35.50 on the New York Stock Exchange. A year ago, Kellogg was trading above $44.