Kellogg’s

How ethical is Kellogg’s?

Kellogg’s is a breakfast cereals brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Breakfast Cereals Ratings Table. Although Kellogg’s has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Kellogg’s if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Breakfast Cereals sector.

What does Kellogg’s do?

Kellogg’s has been owned by Kellanova since November 2023, when The Kellogg Company separated into two companies; WK Kellogg Co in North America and Kellanova internationally. Kellanova is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Kellogg’s produces cereal and markets their products by several well-known brands including the Kellogg’s brand itself.

In which areas does Kellogg’s perform poorly?

Kellogg’s was marked down under our criteria for Palm Oil as the parent company Kellanova confirms that its brands do use palm oil. Kellog’s (before the company split) donated over our threshold in recent election cycles, so the brand is also given a bottom score for Political Donations.

Kellogg’s is given a middle rating for its Environmental Report as although parent company Kellanova has a 2022 Sustainability Report available, it lacks enough detail for such a large company. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Kellogg’s record

Be Slavery Free’s 2023 Chocolate Scorecard rates all the major chocolate companies on their labour and environmental policies and practices and Kellogg’s received a red (poor) rating.

A 2022 BBC News, Mongabay and the Gecko Project released a joint investigation that looked into a scheme that was intended to help lift millions of Indonesians out of poverty but has instead been plagued by allegations of exploitation and illegality. They identified 13 companies, including Kellogg, that have sourced palm oil from producers alleged to have withheld plasma or the profits from plasma, from Indonesian communities.

In which areas does Kellogg’s score well for its ethics?

Kellogs gets a top rating for our Organic criterion as the brand does have some product lines which are certified by EU Leaf. We found no public record criticisms of Kellogg’s relating to GM, Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare, or Armaments, so the brand scores well across these criteria.

How can Kellogg’s improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Kellogg’s is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Breakfast Cereals Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Kellogg’s has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Kellogg’s some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.