FDA vs. Cheerios: Blurred Line Between Food and Pharma

The FDA has fired a warning shot at one of Americas most beloved brands. They accuse the makers of Cheerios of selling the cereal as a drug to prevent and treat high cholesterol—a charge with a potentially huge impact on Cheerios brand sales and reputation. We talked to Cheerios eaters to find out why they ate Cheerios, the importance of health claims, and their reaction to the charges. The upshot: people want healthy food that tastes good and Cheerios fits the bill. Most people felt the FDA charges were a little off-base. The charges are unlikely to change peoples opinion of the Cheerios brand. They truly do trust Cheerios—perhaps more than the FDA…