General Mills Thrives Selling Gluten-free Health Halo
Back in February, General Mills announced that five varieties of gluten-free Cheerios (Apple Cinnamon, Frosted, Honey Nut, Multi Grain, and Original) would be available nationwide for purchase later in the year. With the launch of gluten-free Cheerios in recent months, General Mills embarked on one of the company's largest marketing offensives for cereal in many years. It was great marketing, food is all about chasing the latest fads. But it was not without missteps. On October 5th they recalled 1.8 million boxes of original and Honey Nut Cheerios labeled gluten-free because they contained wheat and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had received 125 complaints from consumers who ate gluten-free Cheerios and experienced gastrointestinal problems. read more