Peanut butter Cheerios stoke allergy fears

Cheerios has launched a new flavor, peanut butter, which worries some parents because of peanuts’ ability to cause severe allergic reactions.

“People are very upset about it,” said Gina Clowes, founder of Allergy Moms, a national support group. “I know some allergy families that currently buy Cheerios are vowing not to buy them at all for fear of cross-contact while processing and to avoid confusion in their own homes.”

Although the box makes it clear that these Cheerios are different, the cereal itself is hard to distinguish from the original. Especially troubling to parents is that Cheerios are so often carried by toddlers, who share them freely.

“It has become the norm to have toddlers walking around with bags of cereal to snack on,” Clowes said. “Toddlers are notoriously messy eaters. It (would) be difficult to distinguish this variety from ones that are ‘safe,’ and one misplaced peanut butter Cheerio can cause a serious reaction.”

Melissa Levy, a spokeswoman for General Mills, the company that makes Cheerios, responded to an inquiry with this statement:

“Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS. Cheerios has a commitment to allergen management. We can say with complete confidence that Multi Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios will not cross-contaminate other Cheerios varieties.

“Currently, Honey Nut Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, and Oat Cluster Cheerios Crunch contain ALMOND. Only Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS.

“All other varieties, including original Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios, do not contain nuts.

“As always, if you’re concerned about allergies, we highly recommend that you always consult the allergen listing and the ingredient label on any product you may consume.”

I asked Levy whether General Mills would consider changing the appearance of the new Cheerios so that children might know the difference. She responded in an email that the company “employs the most stringent allergen control practices in the industry.”