Sugar-Free Cereal Returns: First Kellogg tried adding...

Sugar-Free Cereal Returns: First Kellogg tried adding sugar to its Nutri-Grain cereals to sweeten sales. But after the change left a sour taste in many consumers’ mouths, the cereal maker brought back the sugar-free version this month. “Adding sugar brought in some new consumers,” Kellogg spokeswoman Karen MacLeod said of the switch in 1993. “But we lost a lot of the loyal consumers that preferred it with no added sugar.” Now, the company said, the cereal is back in stores with no extra sugar, no preservatives and an improved taste. The new package has a yellow star on the front proclaiming, “Now--No Sugar Added!” Thousands of customers who wrote the company complaining about the switch received a coupon for a free box, Kellogg said.