Kids' cereals still too sugary: NZ agency

Many children's cereals still contain too much sugar, and some are getting worse, New Zealand's consumer agency says.

Consumer NZ says that of 50 children's breakfast cereals it looked at, 27 were high in sugar, with the sweetener making up more than 40 per cent of one - Kellogg's Frosties.

Eleven others were found to have two-and-a-half teaspoons or more in each 30g serving.

Consumer chief Sue Chetwin said although overall the amount of sugar had gone down from 27 per cent to 21 per cent since the group's last report in 2013, some companies had gone the other way.

She said six had more sugar than previously and one had increased by 30 per cent.

"Manufacturers need to do more to reduce the sugar load in their products," she said.

"Kellogg's Coco Pops Chex and Crispix Honey had 20 per cent more (sugar) and Home Brand Fruity Rings a whopping 30 per cent more."

But when it came to sodium, Consumer NZ found nine cereals had 20 per cent less than three years ago and five had dropped their content by more than a third.

The World Health Organisation recommends sugar make up no more than 10 per cent of any person's daily energy intake.