General Mills to launch “Ancient Grains” Cheerios line

General Mills is looking to tap into consumer interest in the US in so-called “ancient grains” with an addition to its Cheerios range.

The Cheerio + Ancient Grains cereal contains quinoa, spelt and Kamut wheat, a trademarked type of khorasan wheat. The product will roll out across the US in January.

“Our goal is to meet consumers changing needs. Ancient grains are a fast growing trend across all categories of food. In fact, Nielsen noted in a study that this category grew by 50 percent over the prior year,” the company told just-food. “While ancient grains are primarily in natural and organic cereals, Cheerios will be the first large cereal brand to bring it mainstream.”

Asked what would be the difference in price between the cereal and conventional Cheerios, the company said the new line would “cost more”.

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