As reported by bbc.com, Kellogg’s has announced a recipe overhaul meaning Rice Krispies and Coco Pops will no longer utilize whole rice grains in the UK.
Kellogg Replaces Whole Grains with Corn and Rice Flour
Rather than utilizing whole grains, the small toasted puffs are now produced using rice flour and corn flour, alongside the addition of wheat gluten as a component. Kellogg’s stated that the reformulation was due to changing weather conditions that have disrupted supplies of some grains and cereals.
The cereal giant said the new versions had been carefully assessed for taste, appearance and texture
and it is listening to customer feedback. No changes are being made to Rice Krispies products in the US and Canada.
Breakfast cereal giant Kellogg's has stopped using rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK due to "changing weather conditions" that have disrupted supplies.https://t.co/DuWFdRxKMC
The company stated that the modification to the UK recipe will help preserve uniform quality because severe weather is negatively impacting harvests—especially across South East Asia, which supplies a large portion of global rice production and is causing costs to rise.
Allergy Charity Warns Recipe Change Excludes Coeliac Consumers
The Grocer reported that the updated recipes mean wheat must now be declared as an allergen on packs and highlighted in bold in the ingredients list. Previously, packaging stated the products may contain gluten
due to cross-risk concerns in factories handling other cereals.
Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, founders of allergy charity Natasha’s Foundation, noted it was a shame that these popular cereals will no longer be a safe breakfast option for people with a wheat allergy or coeliac disease,
adding that the change shines a spotlight on the challenges families with food allergies face doing a basic food shop, and their need for constant vigilance,
according to The Grocer.
Lord Deben, who served as minister of agriculture, fisheries and food under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, criticized the decision in The Independent, writing that Kellogg’s has taken the rice out of both, and substituted wheat and rice flour. So they don’t taste the same – in fact, most people think they taste awful.
Breakfast cereal giant Kellogg's has stopped using rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK due to "changing weather conditions" that have disrupted supplies. Corn flour and rice flour are being used instead, a Kellogg's spokesperson said. (BBC News)
He further argued that customers know a reconstituted blend of wheat and rice flour doesn’t have the same Snap, Crackle and Pop!
while suggesting the company avoided addressing climate realities directly.
Corporate Context and Weather Pressures
The cereals have previously undergone changes, including salt reductions in the 1990s and lowered sugar in 2018. Kellogg’s stressed that the cereals contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners, and that nutritional benefits such as fibre, Vitamin D, and iron remain unchanged while continuing to meet UK food standards.
The World Meteorological Agency expects the record-breaking El Niño weather phenomenon to last until at least 2027, severely impacting crop production in South East Asia, a region that produces more than a quarter of the world’s rice.
Corporate structures have also shifted. The company separated into two distinct firms in 2023. Kellanova focuses on global snacks, cereals, and noodles under ownership by Mars, while WK Kellogg’s operates in North America following a takeover by Italian chocolate giant Ferrero.
Kellogg’s drops rice from Rice Krispies Recipe. https://t.co/mpQgYNTX8U
Kellogg’s spokesperson via bbc.com
“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.”
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