Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Coco Pops cereals have been reformulated and no longer use rice grains, with the manufacturer citing weather-related pressures on the quality and supply of key raw materials.
The cereal maker said the new formulation is based around “wheat gluten”.
“This recent change helps us maintain consistent quality at a time when changing weather conditions are affecting the quality and availability of some of the rice and grains used in our cereals,” a spokesperson for Kellogg said.
“We have updated the Rice Krispies and Coco Pops recipes, which are now made using corn flour and rice flour.”
Outside North America, Kellogg’s international cereal business is owned by Mars following its 2024 acquisition of Kellanova.
Kellanova was created in the preceding year when the US-based Kellogg business was separated into two companies. The other company formed through the demerger was WK Kellogg.
WK Kellogg, which owns the similarly named cereal brands in North America, is now controlled by Italian confectionery group Ferrero.
“Our Rice Krispies cereals in the US and Canada (e.g., Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies, Kellogg’s Frosted Krispies) are made with real rice and will continue to be,” a spokesperson for WK Kellogg informed Just Food.
“There are no changes to their ingredients or recipes and consumers can continue to expect the same delicious Rice Krispies taste they know and love.”
“Our new recipe products will be rolled out across our European markets in the coming weeks and months,” the spokesperson responded.
Kellogg also said the two breakfast cereal brands had previously carried ‘may contain gluten’ warnings because of the potential for cross-contamination at their manufacturing facilities. The product labels are now being amended.
Because wheat gluten has become an ingredient, the packaging must now disclose its presence. However, Kellogg stressed that Rice Krispies and Coco Pops remain non-HFSS compliant and contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.
The products also offer nutritional attributes including fibre, Vitamin D and iron.
“We’ve always looked for ways to evolve our products over the years, whether that’s making them better for you or tastier,” the statement read.
“We appreciate that even small changes to a much-loved product can feel noticeable and that’s why we have approached this with a lot of care and consideration. The updated recipes have been carefully assessed for taste, appearance and texture, and we are continuing to listen closely to consumer feedback.”
The FAO’s All Rice Price Index rose 9.5% year on year in September and increased 1.4% compared with the previous month. The index reached 110.5, exceeding the average reading of 103.5 recorded for the whole of the previous year.