Crisp little spheres of wholegrain corn, sweetened with cane sugar and real honey. The Belgian brand Turtle's take on the honey-flavoured cereal every European child recognises — made with 81% wholegrain corn flour, no palm oil, no artificial colours or flavours, and around 30% less sugar than the mainstream equivalents.
Two things you should know before buying
It contains real honey, so it is not vegan. Most of the rest of the Turtle range is. If you are buying for a vegan household, the Color Loops or the Multigrain Flakes with Chocolate are the ones to reach for.
Never give honey to a baby under twelve months old. This is not a cautious suggestion — it is a firm rule from every paediatric authority. Honey can carry Clostridium botulinum spores, which an infant's immature gut cannot handle and which cause infant botulism, a serious illness. After the first birthday the gut has matured and honey is fine. Any product containing honey, including this one, falls under that rule.
Gluten
The base is corn, not wheat, but Turtle labels this one as may contain traces of cereals containing gluten — it is made on shared equipment. That is different from their certified gluten-free lines. If you are coeliac, this is not the cereal for you; the Color Loops, Cinnamon Bites and Multigrain Flakes are certified gluten-free.
What "30% less sugar" means and does not mean
It means less than the reference products it is compared with. It does not mean low in sugar. Cane sugar is still the second ingredient. This is a sweetened breakfast cereal, which is a perfectly reasonable thing to eat — it is just worth being clear-eyed that the honey and the reduced sugar do not turn it into a health food.
Oligofructose
Also on the list is oligofructose, a soluble fibre usually extracted from chicory root. It adds sweetness and fibre without much sugar. In larger amounts it can cause wind and bloating in people sensitive to fermentable fibres; at cereal-portion levels most people notice nothing.
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