Editing General Mills (section)

==Controversies==

=== Association with "anti-diet" movement ===
The company has been associated with social media campaigns and education of dieticians promoting the "anti-diet" movement.  This activity has been connected with helping to promote some of its own foods, which are high in sugar content.<ref>{{Cite news |title=As obesity rises, Big Food and dietitians push 'anti-diet' advice |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/04/03/diet-culture-nutrition-influencers-general-mills-processed-food/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

=== Change to legal terms ===
In April 2014, the company announced that it had changed its [[terms of service|legal terms]] on its website to introduce an [[arbitration clause]] requiring all disputes with General Mills to be resolved in [[small claims court]] or [[arbitration]] and not as a participant in a [[class action]].<ref name="strom">{{cite news |last1=Strom |first1=Stephanie |date=April 16, 2014 |title=When 'Liking' a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/business/when-liking-a-brand-online-voids-the-right-to-sue.html |access-date=July 8, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="weiss">{{cite news |last1=Weiss |first1=Debra Cassens |date=April 17, 2014 |title=Buying a General Mills product eliminates the right to sue, according to online legal terms |url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/buying_a_general_mills_product_eliminates_the_right_to_sue_according_to_onl/ |access-date=July 8, 2014 |newspaper=Aba Journal |publisher=[[American Bar Association]]}}</ref> The change was made shortly after a judge's March 26, 2014, denial of a motion to dismiss a class action regarding the marketing of the company's Nature Valley brand products.<ref name="weiss" /> Users would be deemed to accept the terms by interacting with General Mills on its website in various ways, such as downloading coupons, subscribing to newsletters, or participating in [[Internet forum]]s hosted on the website.<ref name="sherman">{{cite web |last1=Sherman |first1=Erik |date=April 18, 2014 |title=General Mills adds legal fine print that raises questions |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/general-mills-adds-new-legal-fine-print-that-raises-questions/ |access-date=July 8, 2014 |website=CBS News}}</ref><ref name="strom2">{{cite news |last1=Strom |first1=Stephanie |date=April 17, 2014 |title=General Mills Amends New Legal Policies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/business/general-mills-amends-new-legal-policies.html |access-date=July 8, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that the agreement could be interpreted to additionally construe purchasing General Mills products at a grocery store or liking the company's Facebook page as assent to the terms;<ref name="strom" /> General Mills disclaimed that interpretation, calling it a "mischaracterization".<ref name="strom2" /><ref name="gray">{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Jeff |date=April 19, 2014 |title=General Mills abandons controversial legal policy to strip consumers of rights |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/the-law-page/general-mills-abandons-controversial-legal-policy-to-strip-consumers-of-rights/article18070962/ |access-date=July 8, 2014 |website=The Globe And Mail}}</ref><ref name="foster">{{cite web |last1=Foster |first1=Kirstie |date=April 19, 2014 |title=We've listened – and we're changing our legal terms back |url=http://www.blog.generalmills.com/2014/04/weve-listened-and-were-changing-our-legal-terms-back-to-what-they-were/ |access-date=December 9, 2014 |website=generalmills.com |publisher=General Mills}}</ref> The change in terms resulted in a massive backlash of protests via consumer groups and social media, and General Mills reverted the terms back to the original content after only a few days.<ref name="murphy">{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Esme |date=April 20, 2014 |title=Talking Points: General Mills Reverses Lawsuit Change |url=http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/04/20/talking-points-general-mills-reverses-lawsuit-change/ |access-date=July 8, 2014 |website=CBS Minnesota |publisher=[[WCCO-TV]]}}</ref>

===Involvement in Israeli settlements===
{{See also|List of companies operating in West Bank settlements}}

On February 12, 2020, the [[United Nations]] published a [[List of companies operating in West Bank settlements|database]] of companies doing business related in the [[West Bank]], including [[East Jerusalem]], as well as in the occupied [[Golan Heights]].<ref>{{cite web |date=12 Feb 2020 |title=Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71) |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/database-all-business-enterprises-involved-certain-activities |access-date=2021-09-12 |publisher=UN OCHA}}</ref> General Mills was listed on the database on account of the activities of its subsidiary General Mills Israel in [[Israeli settlement]]s in these occupied territories,<ref name="unlist_ohchr">{{cite news |date=12 February 2020 |title=UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25542 |access-date=5 July 2021 |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]]}}</ref> which some have argued is [[International law and Israeli settlements|illegal under international law]].<ref name="unsc2334">{{cite news |date=23 December 2016 |title=S/RES/2334(2016) |url=https://undocs.org/S/RES/2334(2016) |access-date=5 July 2021 |work=[[United Nations Security Council]]}}</ref>

As of the update on June 30, 2023, General Mills is no longer involved in [[Israeli settlement]]s and has been removed from the [[United Nations]] [[List of companies operating in West Bank settlements|database]].<ref name="hrc3136">{{cite news |date=30 June 2023 |title=Update HRC3136 |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session31/database-hrc3136/23-06-30-Update-israeli-settlement-opt-database-hrc3136.pdf |access-date=30 April 2025 |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]]}}</ref>