US food manufacturer General Mills has said it has reduced sugar in cereals advertised to children by an additional 8% during 2010.

The Big G manufacturer said it has achieved sugar reductions of 14% on cereals advertised to children since 2007, with some cereals reduced as much as 28% during the period.

The company said that a year ago it committed to reduce sugar in all Big G cereals advertised to children under 12 to “single-digit levels of grams of sugar per serving”. It said today (9 December) that shipments of Big G cereals advertised to children will all be at 10 grams of sugar or less per serving by 31 December, with some already at 9 grams of sugar.

“We are making real progress,” said Jeff Harmening, president of General Mills’ Big G cereal division. “We think consumers will be very pleased, because we are reducing sugar and our cereals still taste great.”