According to reports in the national press, cereals in the UK have up to 30% more sugar than their equivalent versions in the US.

A survey conducted by the Sunday Times found that Kellogg's Special K has 17 g of sugar per 100 g in the UK compared to 13 g per 100 g in the US. Nestlé Cheerios has 21.5 g of sugar per 100 g compared with just 4 g in the US. Alpen muesli contains 15% more sugar in the UK than the US, according to the survey.

Kellogg's said that it altered recipes by country to cater for different palates adding: 'when you look at the amounts you are talking about it's still low when you consider what people eat across the day'.