Weetabix

How ethical is Weetabix?

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

We would have extra confidence in Weetabix 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 Weetabix do?

Weetabix is a breakfast cereal in the form of palm-sized wheat biscuits, and also produces mini and oat-based varieties. Weetabix has been produced since 1932 and is the British version of the original Australian brand Weet-Bix.

In which areas does Weetabix perform poorly?

Weetabix was marked down under our criteria for GM as parent company, Post Holdings Inc, confirms that its brands do use GMOs. It also gets a bottom rating for Palm Oil as it uses RSPO palm oil in some products. Post Holdings Inc. donated over our threshold in recent election cycles, so Weetabix is also given a bottom score for Political Donations.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Weetabix’s record

Recently, a US federal judge ruled that Post Holdings Inc. must face class claims alleging it made false and misleading statements that several of its breakfast cereals are ‘healthy’ despite their high sugar content.The lawsuit alleges that Post’s cereals were cloaked in an aura of ‘deceptive health and wellness’ by over-emphasising the wholegrain and vitamin content, whilst under-emphasising the amount of sugar.

In which areas does Weetabix score well for its ethics?

Weetabix has an organic product line certified by The Soil Association so scores well for our Organic criterion. It also has a Sustainability Report 2023 containing evidence of progress and targets so Weetabix gets a top score for its Environment Report.

We found no public record criticisms of Weetabix relating to Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare, or Armaments, so the brand scores well across these criteria.

How can Weetabix improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Weetabix 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, Weetabix 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 Weetabix 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.