Cocoa Puffs

On several occasions, the cereal used Hershey's cocoa in its recipe, and this aspect was promoted in Cocoa Puffs boxes and commercials. In December 2009, General Mills announced that it would cut the sugar in 10 kinds of cereal, including Cocoa Puffs, to less than per serving. This could represent a 25% decline in the sugar content from the original level and 18% from the 2009 level of per serving. A lower sugar version of Cocoa Puffs has also been sold, ostensibly to be used for sugar-conscious youth-serving institutions such as schools. Provided in individual-portion packaging, their labels indicated 25% less sugar than regular Cocoa Puffs. In 2020, General Mills brought back the retro recipes for four ready-to-eat cereals: Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cookie Crisp, and Trix, claiming, "Cocoa Puffs now delivers more chocolatey taste". Legal issues In August 2000, two class-action lawsuits were filed alleging that Cocoa Puffs cereal contains elevated levels of lead. The complaints, seeking $5 million in damages, cite a recent study by George Washington University researchers that found lead in 43% of 72 consumer cocoa products analyzed. The study, conducted over eight years, identified lead levels exceeding established guidelines in many products. These findings align with a 2023 Consumer Reports analysis that detected high levels of lead or cadmium in 16 of 48 tested chocolate products. ==Flavors and variants==

A cereal bar of Cocoa Puffs has been made. A layer of dried, sweetened condensed milk is added to the bottom and marketed as a substitute for a bowl of milk and cereal. In the summer of 2008, a new addition was introduced: Cocoa Puffs Combos, which consists of the recognizable chocolate puffs combined with vanilla puffs. Besides Cocoa Puffs Combos, there are varieties of popular cereals. One such example was Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch in 2011. The front of the box described that cereal as "naturally and artificially flavored sweetened chocolate squares". ==Advertising==

The mascot for Cocoa Puffs is Sonny, an orange anthropomorphic Cuckoo bird. He was introduced in 1963. In most commercials, Sonny attempts to resist Cocoa Puffs — his favorite cereal. However, after being reminded of the deliciousness of the cereal (generally described by the adjectives "munchy", "crunchy", and "chocolatey"), he capitulates in a burst of energy, exclaiming his catchphrase "I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!" Sonny was voiced by Chuck McCann The line "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" has entered the vernacular as a term for somebody who is irrational. Sonny's name comes from the original format of the commercials. In those, he was paired with another cuckoo, "Gramps", his grandfather (also voiced by McCann). Sonny was initially depicted as wearing a pink-and-white striped shirt. In 1995, he was redesigned, this time wearing 1990s "extreme" clothes and being given a more Disney-like appearance. In 2004, he was redesigned more simplistically, this time without clothing. ==References==