title: A comparison of the nutritional quality of organic and conventional ready-to-eat breakfast cereals based on NuVal scores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify whether there were differences in nutritional quality between organic and conventional ready-to-eat breakfast cereals of similar types, based on NuVal scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current descriptive study analysed NuVal scores for 829 ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and eighteen different cereal types. ANOVA was used to compare the mean NuVal scores of 723 conventional cereals with those of 106 organic cereals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (n 829) with NuVal scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in NuVal scores between conventional (mean 28·4 (sd 13·4)) and organic (mean 30·6 (sd 13·2)) cereal types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumers who choose the organic version of a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal believing that nutritional quality is superior may not be making a valid assumption. Public health nutrition educators must help consumers understand that organic cereals are not necessarily more nutritious and their consumption could result in excessive intake of undesirable nutrients, such as fat, sugar and sodium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition,Stempel School of Public Health,Florida International University,University Park HLS I 445,Miami,FL 33199,USA.
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Woodbury
authors.affiliation: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition,Stempel School of Public Health,Florida International University,University Park HLS I 445,Miami,FL 33199,USA.
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D062408:Breakfast; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D002523:Edible Grain; D057140:Fast Foods; D058870:Food, Organic; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value