Consumers nationwide are taking part in a week-long boycott of General Mills beginning today, taking aim at the massive company who organizers say represents everything wrong with the corporate grip on the nation’s food system.
The seven-day spending freeze, organized by the People’s Union USA and led by John Schwarz, comes on the heels of a three-day economic blackout of all major retailers through the Easter holiday. Multiple boycotts in recent weeks have urged consumers to avoid major retailers that have scaled back their DEI programs, such as a widescale economic boycott on Feb. 28 that expanded to targeted Amazon and Nestlé spending freezes following President Donald Trump’s program cuts.
Schwarz, in an Instagram post, is instead taking aim at what he claims is General Mills’ purported toxic ingredients, alleged price gouging during inflation, avoiding f fair taxes and its allegedly store-wide domination of mass-produced, low-nutrition products.
Here’s what New Jerseyans should know about the General Mills boycott, including what products are included.
Cereal aisle at Food Lion in Chester, Va.
When is the General Mills boycott?
The General Mills boycott began today, April 21, and will end at midnight on Monday, April 28.
What is the General Mills boycott? Why are people boycotting General Mills?
The People’s Union USA is calling for a national boycott of the corporate giant’s continued efforts to “profit off the backs of American families while doing absolutely nothing to reinvest into the communities it profits from.”
Schwarz, in an Instagram video on Sunday, called out the companies’ alleged efforts to churn out “ultra-processed garbage” and “sugary poison,” spending millions to lobby against GMO transparency and better food labeling to keep Americans blind to what they are eating.
What items are on the General Mills boycott list? Here’s a list of General Mills products
General Mills is a manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods and pet food products that include cereal, prepared and frozen foods, soup, snacks, yogurt, baking products, pet food, and ice cream. Several brands fall under the umbrella of General Mills:
Cereals: Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Count Chocula, Golden Grahams, Kix, Lucky Charms, Raisin Nut Bran, Reese’s Puffs, Total, Trix and Wheaties
Baking: Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Gold Medal, Bisquick, Autumn’s Gold
Snacks: Nature Valley, Annie’s (organic snacks), EPIC, Larabar, Chex Mix, Dunkaroos, Fiber One, Gardetto’s
Yogurt: Yoplait, Oui, :ratio
Other Brands: Annie’s (organic), Old El Paso, Totino’s, Muir Glen (organic), Progresso (soups)
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
When is the next boycott? Amazon boycott, Walmart boycott next
Schwarz has also outlined several dates for blackouts or boycotts this spring and summer. He said Sunday the blackouts will “escalate” after July 4.
Second Amazon boycott: May 6-12
Second Walmart boycott: May 20-26
Target boycott: June 3-9
McDonald’s boycott: June 24-30
Independence Day boycott: July 4
Do boycotts work? Do economic blackouts work?
The results from boycotts are often mixed, but professors told USA TODAY that it can be a successful tactic to shame a company into reversing decisions or taking action.
In 2023, conservative activists staged boycotts of Target’s Pride Month displays, leading the store to move its Pride displays to the back of stores. Last year, the retailer opted to scale back on its Pride collection, with many stores choosing not to carry it. Bud Light, owned by beer giant Anheuser-Busch, suffered plummeting sales following backlash in 2023 over a social media campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
While difficult to gauge, data from the first economic blackout on Feb. 28 suggests there was “some potential impact” on sales for larger retailers, including Target, Walmart and Amazon, according to a USA TODAY report.
What is DEI? What are DEI programs?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a concept that promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups that are “underrepresented or subject of discrimination because of their background, identity and disability,” according to Dictionary.com.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: General Mills boycott: What to know about 7-day halt on popular foods