PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) – General Mills – the maker of Lucky Charms, Trix and Cocoa Puffs – plans to reduce the amount of sugar in its cereals marketed to children.

The move, announced last week, comes as many food companies alter their products and face growing scrutiny from consumers, regulators and health groups over the nutritional value of their foods. General Mills said it will cut the sugar in ten of its cereals to single-digit grams of sugar per serving. It did not provide a timeline for reaching this goal, but it builds on reductions the company rolled out two years ago.

The sugar in Cocoa Puffs, for example, could drop at least 25 percent from its original level and 18 percent from its current 11 grams per serving.

"This is a significant development across some of our biggest and longest-term brands," said Jeff Harmening, president of the company's Big G cereal division.

General Mills, which is based in Minneapolis, said the updated products will begin to roll out in the next year. The timing will vary by product.

"The reduction ... doesn't represent perfection but it represents improvement," said Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

Several cereal makers have adjusted their products to address the growing concern. Last year, Kellogg Co. reformulated a number of its US cereals including Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and Corn Pops. The changes vary according to product but decreased the sugar by one to three grams per serving. Kellogg also added fiber to some of its cereals.

Post Foods said it has cut the sugar content in both Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles by 20 percent.

And it increased the vitamin D in Pebbles and Honeycomb cereals this year.

"The cereal companies have really been under a lot of pressure," Brownell said.