Post Holdings adds to Great Grains range

US breakfast cereal group Post Holdings has extended its range of Great Grains products with the launch of granolas and snack mixes.

Great Grains Granolas and the Great Grains – The Bar Undone Granola Snack Mixes have been introduced to meet interest in “fad-free” dieting, Post said.

Post pointed to research it conducted that it said showed 78% of women “believe fad diets are not an effective way to maintain a healthy weight”.

Mangala D’Sa, brand director for Great Grains, said: “We believe when it comes to healthy eating, the secret is, there is no secret. A fad-free diet, complete with wholesome, nutritious foods such as Great Grains cereals, new Great Grains – The Bar Undone Granola Snack Mix and new Great Grains Granolas with real fruit, nuts and seeds, is key to healthy eating.”

The granolas come in two flavours – Super Nutty and Blueberry Flax. The snack mixes are also available in two varieties – Cranberry, Nuts and Seeds, as well as Dark Chocolate Nut. Each mix comes in a portable grab-and-go pouch.

Launching a health-focused product at the start of a year is a common marketing tool but US cereal makers, facing declining sales, are increasingly trying to tap into demand for healthier and more convenient products.

In November, Post said it was preparing for sales in the US breakfast cereal sector to decline again over the next 12 months.

Recently-appointed CEO Rob Vitale said the US group expects the US ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category to decline 4%, continuing the slide seen in recent quarters.

However, Vitale said Post, which accounts for 11% of breakfast cereal sales in the US, some way behind Kellogg and General Mills, can gain market share, as, he said, the business did last year.