General Mills has halted its advertising on Twitter, with the US group one of a number of major consumer companies to have stopped marketing on the network.

The Old El Paso producer confirmed the move, which comes just days after Elon Musk’s US$44bn takeover of Twitter.

Carlsberg has also pressed pause on its paid-for content as advertisers await more clarity on Musk’s plans.

The world’s richest person is said to be weighing up a number of facets of the service, including how content is moderated and whether to charge for users to be classified as ‘verified’. Reports suggest Musk is also considering resuscitating Vine, Twitter’s defunct short-video app.

Mondelez International, as well as car makers Audi and General Motors Co., are also said to be among a clutch of companies to have ceased advertising.

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A spokesperson for Cheerios manufacturer General Mills said: “We have paused advertising on Twitter. As always, we will continue to monitor this new direction and evaluate our marketing spend.”

The company would not be drawn on much it spends on advertising through Twitter each year.

Snacks behemoth Mondelez had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

A spokesperson for Carlsberg, the owner of brands including Tuborg, added: “We have advised our brand teams to pause advertising activities and we are monitoring the situation closely.”

From Just Food sister site Verdict.co.uk: Elon Musk charging $20 for a blue tick on Twitter will “devalue the concept”