7 Unhealthy Ingredients in Our Processed Cereal + The Worst Cereals to Avoid
Detoxing Our Life: Complete Guide Series
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder @ Small Batch Goodness
IT’S ANOTHER BUSY MORNING and everyone is trying to get off to their day. Being health conscious, we are not looking to sacrifice our health to save some time either. The breakfast cereal seems to slot in perfectly to fix the conundrum. Quickly throw your favorite cereal in a bowl and we have a supposedly nutritious and healthy start to our day. Brands have perfected their marketing as well to pitch cereal as the morning savior. Unfortunately, the fact is that the vast majority of breakfast cereals are neither healthy nor nourishing for our bodies in any way.
From potentially toxic preservatives to processing agents to petroleum based artificial colors; there is a lot that makes our breakfast cereal unhealthy. The consequences are quite real as well - from inflammation, behavioral problems in children, obesity and diabetes to name a few.
Add to all of that is the high heat & pressure manufacturing technique called extrusion that denatures whole grains in our cereal and renders them toxic. Most of the 7 bad cereal ingredients we cover below go hand in hand with this processing methodology. When a food product is highly processed and removed from its natural state, the need for harmful additives is normal.
Let’s now dive right into the harmful ingredients and processing methodologies that make the breakfast cereal unhealthy!
Here are the four key parts of our research article:
Part I: The 7 harmful ingredients hiding in our daily processed cereal - such as petroleum based food dyes, toxic pesticide residues and modified carbs linked to inflammation
Part II: Extrusion - a neurotoxins creating high heat + pressure technique poisoning our grains
Part III: The worst breakfast cereal brands to avoid - these are popular cereals like Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Cap'n Crunch and even Cheerios
Part IV: Guidance for a Better Breakfast
PART I: The 7 Unhealthy Additives in our Ultra-Processed Cereals
The toxic preservative agent Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) - an endocrine disruptor with links to cancer
What is this preservative doing in your cereal? BHT is an antioxidant that gives processed foods like cereal a longer shelf life by preventing bacteria and mold growth. Of concern are several studies which indicate BHT may cause cancer in rats, while other studies have found it to be safe, according to the University of California at Los Angeles publication "What Food Additives Add" (1). Due to questions on its safety, the US FD&A is currently reviewing BHT added in foods (1).
BHT and endocrine disruption:
In addition to the cancer risk, the Environmental Working Group while referencing the European Food Safety Authority mentions, “BHT may disrupt endocrine function by causing thyroid changes and affecting animal development.” Yikes. For additional context on the nature of this preservative, BHT also has industrial uses in petroleum products and jet fuel. Not something you want ingesting with your cereal!
Given all the concerns, our recommendation is to avoid any cereal like Cap’n Crunch which contains the BHT preservative.
Artificial Colors - petroleum based food dyes added to cereals with links to hyperactivity, behavioral problems in children, allergic skin reactions, as well as cancerous tumors during animal testing
Sadly, petroleum based synthetic dyes are used to give the bright colors to our kids’ breakfast cereal. These dyes serve no nutritional purpose and are purely added to make processed (& frankly dead) food more visually appealing. From hyperactivity and behavioral issues in children, allergies and even cancer; the concerns around these artificial colors in our breakfast cereal are aplenty. The cancer concerns generally do not come from the food dyes themselves, but from carcinogens these dyes are often contaminated with, which does not make them any better.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has conducted an extensive study on synthetic colors added to foods titled “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks.” Here are some key takeaways from their study as well as our own broader research.
Red 40:
According to CSPI the Red 40 dye, which is made from petroleum, contains carcinogens that sped the development of cancerous tumors in mice. To add to that, 15% of people experienced allergic skin reactions to this dye (2). Red 40 has also been linked to hyperactivity in children (2). The Center for Science in the Public Interest thus recommends Red 40 be excluded from foods.
Yellow 5:
The Yellow 5 color in cereals is associated with hyperactivity in children as well as hypersensitivity reactions and is similarly recommended to not be in foods (3). CSPI in their study give several examples of the reactions to the Yellow 5 food dye. The study states, “a 42-year-old woman gradually developed chronic nasal blockage, loss of her senses of taste and smell, and asthma…The patient was finally diagnosed with an allergy to Yellow 5 and several other food additives.” Yikes. The fact that these dyes have no nutritional value and are only added to give a false visual perception makes it all the more disturbing.
While thankfully not as common, Yellow 5 has also found to be contaminated with the cancer causing carcinogens Benzidine and 4-Aminobiphenyl (3).
Yellow 6:
Yellow 6 is another useless but potentially toxic food dye associated with “mild to severe hypersensitivity reactions in a small percentage of the population" (2). Similar to the Yellow 5 food dye, Yellow 6 has been found to be contaminated with the cancer causing carcinogens Benzidine and 4-Aminobiphenyl (3). This might be the reason why Yellow 6 was shown to cause possible adrenal and testicular tumors in rats (3). Needless to say, Yellow 6 does not belong in breakfast cereal.
Blue 1:
The Blue 1 synthetic food dye has been associated with allergic reactions and possible kidney tumors in mice (3).
Caramel color:
Cereals like Reese’s Puffs contain caramel color, which is made “by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures” and was shown to cause lung, liver and thyroid cancers in studies on mice or rats (4).
The lesson being, think twice before you reach out for a cereal like Lucky Charms.
Please Note: Here is my article on wholesome and alive breakfast alternatives to the processed cereal.
Modified Carbohydrates like Modified Corn Starch - with links to inflammation and weight gain
Modified corn starch is made by altering corn's physical & chemical properties to make it resistant to high temperatures and to then have it used as a stabilizer, thickener or gelling agent - ew (5)!
Why do brands add modified starches to our breakfast cereal in the first place?
As mentioned, modified starches like modified corn starch can withstand high temperatures, which is what grains are subjected to when they are extruded. Wholesome and unprocessed foods do not need modified corn starch! Highly processed cereals made via extrusion do need these modified additives to serve as stabilizers or gelling agents. We cover the harmful extrusion process used to produce most cereal in Part II below.
Cereals with modified corn starch and links to inflammation and weight gain:
Modified corn starch, like other modified and processed foods, also leads to inflammation and weight gain. This is because refined corn leads to an increase in blood sugar and insulin, leading to an inflammatory response from our bodies. It is important to remember that humans did not naturally evolve eating modified and processed foods. We thus recommend avoiding cereal and other foods with modified carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates that come from whole grains, with their hull and germ intact, do not pose a problem as whole grains are nutritious. Unless the whole grains have been extruded that is, again, more on that in Part II.
Cereals containing modified starches mislead the consumer.
Modified starches, even though they are an unnatural additive added to processed foods, give cereal manufacturers the ability to add labels like gluten-free or vegan on the packaging. Which technically, sure, modified corn starch for example is generally gluten-free and vegan. But remember, if you are eating dead and processed food, it being gluten-free or vegan are not exactly redeeming qualities!
Glyphosate and other toxic pesticides in our kids cereal
Majority of corn and other major crops are sprayed with Glyphosate and other toxic pesticides. Unfortunately, residues of these toxic pesticides often ends up in our breakfast cereal. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in their 2019 testing found that Monsanto’s weedkiller Glyphosate was still making its way in our foods. EWG’s Glyphosate parts per billion or PPB children’s health benchmark is 160 PPB - meaning the recommendation is for the Glyphosate residue to be below this PPB level (6).
Unfortunately, Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch and Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat cereal varieties were the “big winners” with concerning Glyphosate values of 833 and 729 PPB respectively. Several of Nature Valley’s snack bars also tested high for Glyphosate contamination. You can look at EWG’s complete list here.
EWG’s study also points to a potentially concerning practice. Glyphosate is not only used as a weedkiller, “but it is also sprayed on oats just before harvest as a drying agent, or desiccant. It kills the crop, drying it out so it can be harvested sooner, which increases the likelihood that glyphosate ends up in foods children love to eat.” So this toxic herbicide is sprayed on oats simply for the sake of faster processing! Another harmful practice that should never exist.
Added Sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) - with links to obesity, diabetes and behavioral issues
Many cereals, especially those targeted towards children, contain an obnoxious amount of added sugar. High daily intake of sugar is a contributor to chronic ailments like diabetes and obesity. The “sugar high” also contributes to behavioral problems like difficulty concentrating.
As this ADDitude article states, “A study conducted by the University of South Carolina concluded that the more sugar hyperactive children consumed, the more destructive and restless they became. A study conducted at Yale University indicates that high-sugar diets may increase inattention in some kids with ADHD.” Parents probably didn’t need these studies to know that.
And these are just the known harmful effects of excessive daily intake of mostly processed sugar. As with modified carbs, humans did not evolve to be eating this amount of sugar daily! High Fructose Corn Syrup is especially concerning as it made by separating glucose and fructose in corn, leaving behind highly concentrated fructose. Fructose is not easily digestible by our bodies. It is for this reason that HFCS is constantly linked with weight gain and obesity. Other types of refined sugars like regular corn syrup are not much better though.
Sugar levels in our kids’ cereal - some concerning facts:
An extensive study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine titled “The healthfulness and prominence of sugar in child-targeted breakfast cereals in Canada” has some important insights around added sugars. The WHO recommends that a person’s intake of free sugars should be 10% or less of their total energy or calorie consumption. As this research points out though, “if an average 8-year old sedentary child, whose caloric intake should be 1500 calories, consumed 50g of a child-targeted cereal, their sugar intake would on average be approximately 15g of sugar (or 60 kcal), which is 40% of their total free sugars for the day.”
Now as the study mentions, in the U.S., cereals are only the 6th largest source of sugar in children’s daily diet. Once we combine cereal with even higher contributors such as sugary drinks, desserts and candy; it is clear that kids are consuming much more than the recommended 10% WHO amount.
Combining this with the processed nature of most cereals (see Part II), high obesity levels in children is sadly a natural outcome. Added sugar in cereal thus plays a big part in making cereals unhealthy with all types of unwanted health effects including behavioral issues, weight gain, diabetes and an increase in bad cholesterol.
Partially and Fully Hydrogenated Oils
The concern with partially hydrogenated oils is that they contain trans fat. Trans fat has been linked to a host of concerns including cancer, heart disease and immunity issues. So stay a mile away from any cereal containing partially hydrogenated oil.
Fully hydrogenated oils do not post the same concern of trans fat, but we should avoid them when we can anyways. As with many ingredients of concern here, hydrogenated oils are synonymous with processed foods. Hydrogenated oil is primarily used as a preservative. You won’t find hydrogenated oil in steel cut whole grain oats for example, a much simpler and healthier breakfast alternative.
The infamous “paint thinner” processing additive Trisodium Phosphate (TSP)
Trisodium Phosphate is a sodium salt. It rose to fame after claims of it being a paint thinner came in news. While that claim was exaggerated, there are legitimate concerns around why this ingredient is present in our kids’ breakfast cereal in the first place. Trisodium Phosphate goes hand in hand with processed foods. When it comes to processed cereal, this salt helps the grain slurry go smoothly into an extruder. Extrusion is an extremely high heat and pressure process that denatures our grains and makes them toxic. We cover extrusion in Part II below.
To give you a sense of Trisodium Phosphate’s processing enhancing properties, here are some of its other uses. As Sean McKiernan states on this Quora discussion, TSP is used in meat processing to help it retain moisture during storage and is added to processed cheese to help maintain its shape. And yes, TSP is also an ingredient in paint thinners. Yikes.
The point is that Trisodium Phosphate is a processing agent. Wholesome and unprocessed cereals would not need to add Trisodium Phosphate. Extruded and processed cereals do.
Part II: Extrusion - an inflammation causing and neurotoxins producing process so harmful it gets its own section
When it comes to your cereal, it absolutely is not just about the ingredients. How the grains and additives are processed to give you the end product makes all the difference. Across our food chain, processing techniques that combine high heat and high pressure are sadly commonplace.
One of the more notorious of these processes is extrusion. Cereals like Cheerios, Reese’s Puffs and almost all other puffed cereals with fancy shapes are made via this extrusion process. In this, an extruder takes the mixture of grains, sugar, fats & other additives through extremely high pressure and temperatures and emits the mixture out of tiny holes on the other end. This is how cereal manufacturers achieve the various fancy shapes. The issue is, this brutal process changes the very nature of grains and their protein structures, rendering them foreign and toxic to our bodies.
Healthy wholesome grains turned into neurotoxins:
The Weston A. Price Foundation published an extensive piece that covered extrusion. The piece emphasizes how the denatured proteins become foreign and toxic to our human nervous system after they have been extruded. The article here states, “unpublished research indicates that the extrusion process turns the proteins in grains into neurotoxins…proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the pressure of the puffing process may produce chemical changes that turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance (7).”
Animals fed extruded cereal died faster than those starved & given only water!
And this leads us to the disturbing rat experiments carried out to study the effects of eating extruded cereal. According to Paul Stitt, author of Fighting the Food Giants, rats who were fed extruded cereal in experiments died faster than those who were starved and only given water (8)! Yes, you read that correctly. The experiments demonstrated the ill effects of altering the protein structures of grains and that extrusion indeed converts grains into foreign and toxic substances for our bodies. Thankfully there are easy and healthy breakfast alternatives, so we don’t have to eat these denatured grains, you can read my article here for breakfast substitutes to a processed cereal.
Organic and whole grain cereal brands that use extrusion not any better than their refined counterparts:
The aforementioned Weston A. Price article states, “whole grain extruded cereals are probably more dangerous than their refined grain counterparts sold in the supermarkets, because they are higher in protein, and it is the proteins in these cereals that are rendered toxic by this type of processing.” This would include both whole grain corn and whole grain wheat. The solution is to avoid extruded cereals altogether. And any cereal you see with fancy, puffed shapes has most likely been extruded.
Extrusion also damages grains’ nutritional profile and turns them into an inflammation causing processed food.
Extrusion also destroys the essential fatty and amino acids naturally found in grains in their wholesome and natural state. Extruded cereals, like almost all ultra-processed foods, can also cause inflammation given our bodies are not used to eating these altered and foreign grains. There is nothing healthy about puffed denatured grains coming out of a high pressure and high heat extruder. Quite the opposite, this unnatural process strips our grains of their nourishing properties and instead makes them toxic.
Part III: The Worst Breakfast Cereals.
Let’s now dive into the worst cereals you can be feeding your family. Most of these cereals are produced via extrusion and are full of unwanted additives, artificial colors and have modified and processed ingredients.
Note: Please refer to Part I on the 7 harmful additives and Part II on the extrusion manufacturing process for details around the below mentioned health concerns as well as for our sources.
Fruity PEBBLES - Post Consumer Brands
Hiding behind the tagline “The Fruity way to rock,” the ingredients in the Post Fruity Pebbles cereal are outright disgusting. Sugar is the second main ingredient in the cereal after rice and it only gets worse from there
Fruity Pebbles is full of synthetic flavors and colors: Fruity Pebbles gets its bright colors from the petroleum based food dyes Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2. Yikes. These synthetic colorants have been constantly linked with hyperactivity & behavioral problems in children, allergic reactions and even cancerous tumors in studies on rats. When did we give our permission to be exposed to this just for the sake of some bright colors?
Fruity Pebbles also contains the preservative BHT, often added to processed foods to extend their shelf life. In animal studies, BHT was possibly linked to thyroid changes and thus negatively impacting our endocrine function. Please stay away from this junk cereal.
Lucky Charms - General Mills
An easy choice for the worst cereals list. The unicorn and other fancy shapes in the Lucky Charms cereal are achieved via the high pressure and toxic extrusion process. The cereal then naturally also has the processing agent Trisodium Phosphate
Lucky Charms takes things above a notch with all the petroleum based food dyes it contains - Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. These synthetic food dyes have constantly been linked with behavioral issues in children and allergic reactions
You can find our deep dive on why to avoid Lucky Charms here
Reese’s Puffs - General Mills
Puffing equals extrusion, a high pressure and toxic manufacturing technique. The cereal also contains caramel color, a synthetic color also made via a high pressure process, and linked to cancer in studies on rats. Lastly Reese’s Puffs contains the processing agent Trisodium Phosphate, which is likely added to help it go through the extruder
You can find our detailed article on Reese’s Puffs here
Froot Loops Breakfast Cereal, Fruit Flavored - Kellogg's
The puffed loop shapes are achieved via the high heat extrusion technique, which is probably enough reason to avoid this cereal. Froot Loops also has the whole gamut of petroleum based food dyes Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 and Yellow 6. These artificial colors have been constantly linked to hyperactivity & behavioral problems in children, as well as allergic reactions
It’s likely no big deal to occasionally indulge in a cereal like this, but Kellogg’s shameless marketing with phrases like “this low-fat cereal is a good source of 9 vitamins and minerals” and “add fruity goodness to any lunch box” tries to make Froot Loops sound like a healthy food choice, which it certainly is not
Apple Jacks Breakfast Cereal - Kellogg's
Don’t let the obnoxious cartoon apple on the packaging fool you, Kellogg’s Apple Jacks is not any better than Froot Loops. The cereal is loaded with behavioral problems and allergies causing food dyes Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 1
Apple Jacks contains modified food starch and modified corn starch - modified foods are linked with inflammation and weight gain given they are altered from their natural states. Humans did not evolve eating modified carbs! Anything modified means ultra-processed and dead
This cereal also contains the preservative BHT, which is potentially toxic and disruptive for our body’s endocrine functions
Cheerios - General Mills
I know, this one is going to hurt a little. Sadly Cheerios is made via the high heat and toxic extrusion process. Cheerios then contains the processing agent Tripotassium Phosphate to help with extrusion. Cheerios also contains Modified Corn Starch, which is linked to inflammation and weight gain (see Part I-3 of this article)
Cheerios cereals have also made their way in the news for their high levels of Glyphosate residues, a potentially toxic herbicide sprayed on crops
Cheerios has also faced class action lawsuits over the validity of its claims on lowering cholesterol and preventing cancer & heart disease
You can see our Cheerios article here for details on the above points
Cap'n Crunch - Quaker Oats Company
Cap’n Crunch contains the potentially toxic preservative BHT and is made via the extreme pressure extrusion process. Added sugar is the second major ingredient in this cereal. The captain then has added synthetic caramel coloring, which has been linked with lung and liver cancers in studies on mice. Cap’n Crunch has hydrogenated oil, which is synonymous with processed foods. Don’t pay a heavy price with your health for that infamous crunch and avoid this cereal
Also, a “special” shoutout to Cap’n Crunch’s latest variety, the OOPS! All Berries. In addition to most of the above ingredients of concern, this variety is also loaded with the petroleum based Red 40, Blue 1 and Yellow 5 artificial food dyes. These synthetic colors have been constantly tied with behavioral problems in children and allergic reactions. The cereal also has artificial flavoring to ensure our kids remain completely hooked on their processed junk
Here is our detailed article on the Cap’n Crunch cereal
PART IV: Guidance for a better breakfast
Our breakfast, or any meal for that matter, needs to be wholesome and alive. This starts with the land on which grains and other foods are grown, how they are processed and what else is added before the harvest lands in our bowl. As we know from the above, the unhealthy additives often go hand in hand with overly processed foods. So, we need to consider:
Quality of the Soil: Soil is full of nutrients, enzymes and microbial life. A dynamic disturbed by the use of pesticides and monocropping. We as consumers need to reward producers that practice organic farming and help maintain biodiverse ecosystems. This results in more nutrient dense foods in our bowl anyways!
Processing Methodologies: As whole grains and other foods are harvested, they are going to be processed. What we need to avoid is ultra-processing using techniques that harms the very nature of these grains, such as the extrusion process covered above. Our food should be minimally processed
The Full Ingredients List: Ignore all the marketing claims on the front of a packaging and head straight to the full ingredients list
With the above points in mind, I have researched companies mindful of the entire food journey that originates from a rich and biodiverse soil. Here is my article on the 3 healthy and wholesome breakfast alternatives to the processed cereal. Happy eating.
Additional Sources:
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/cereals-unhealthy-3637.html
https://cspinet.org/sites/default/files/attachment/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf
https://cspinet.org/sites/default/files/attachment/dyes-problem-table.pdf
https://www.cspinet.org/new/201102161.html
https://foodadditives.net/starch/modified-food-starch/
https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/monsanto-weedkiller-still-contaminates-foods-marketed-to-children
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/modern-foods/dirty-secrets-of-the-food-processing-industry/
Paul A. Stitt, Fighting the Food Giants, Manitowoc, WI: Natural Press, 1993
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