164 Fun Facts About Cereal

Which Michigan city is nicknamed the 'Cereal Capital of the World'?

Battle Creek was home to the Kellogg sanitarium and corn flakes and to C. W. Post's Grape-Nuts, the two companies that built the American breakfast-cereal industry.

What was the first cold breakfast cereal, invented in 1863?

Granula, made by James Caleb Jackson at his Dansville, New York sanitarium in 1863, was twice-baked graham-flour nuggets so hard they had to be soaked overnight before eating.

Corn flakes were originally created in 1894 for the residents of what kind of institution?

Will Kellogg made them for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, where his brother John Harvey was superintendent.

C. W. Post first arrived at the famous Michigan health resort in 1891 as what?

C. W. Post checked into the Battle Creek Sanitarium as a patient in 1891, suffering from nervous exhaustion, and founded his own rival cereal company in the same town in 1895.

Grape-Nuts contain neither grapes nor nuts, so what are they actually made from?

Grape-Nuts are made from flour, salt and dried yeast, baked into rigid sheets and broken into nuggets; the cereal was packed into the US Army's World War II jungle ration.

General Mills' oat-ring cereal launched in 1941 under what name?

Cheerioats debuted in 1941; after Quaker Oats objected to the use of 'oats' in the name, General Mills shortened it to Cheerios in 1945.

What was the first alternate flavour of General Mills' oat rings, sold in stores in 1976?

Cinnamon Nut Cheerios, launched in 1976, was the first flavour variant of Cheerios; Honey Nut Cheerios followed in 1979.

In fluid mechanics, the tendency of floating objects to clump together is nicknamed after which cereal?

The 'Cheerios effect' describes how surface tension and meniscus curvature pull floating Cheerios toward one another and toward the sides of the bowl.

Which cereal was the leading cold cereal in the US around 2017?

Honey Nut Cheerios was the best-selling cold cereal in the United States in 2017, ahead of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, having overtaken plain Cheerios for the top spot earlier that decade.

What was the original 1924 name of Wheaties?

'Nutties' was one of the rejected alternatives when the name was shortened.

Which baseball star was the first athlete to appear on a Wheaties box, in 1934?

Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees became the first athlete pictured on a Wheaties box in 1934, on the back panel; Wheaties had begun sponsoring baseball broadcasts the year before.

Who holds the record for the most appearances on a Wheaties box?

Michael Jordan appeared on the Wheaties box 18 times, more than any other athlete; Tiger Woods ranks second with 14.

Wheaties made advertising history in 1926 with what?

'Have You Tried Wheaties?', sung by a barbershop quartet on Minneapolis station WCCO on Christmas Eve 1926, is credited as the first singing radio commercial.

Which future US president got an early career break through Wheaties-sponsored radio sports broadcasts?

Ronald Reagan was announcing sports in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 1930s when the Wheaties connection led to a Hollywood screen test.

In Australia and New Zealand, Snap, Crackle and Pop's cereal goes by what name?

Rice Krispies are sold as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand, where the same Snap, Crackle and Pop elves appear on the box as in the US.

Which illustrator designed the Rice Krispies elves Snap, Crackle and Pop in the 1930s?

Illustrator Vernon Grant, inspired by a Rice Krispies radio jingle, drew Snap for Kellogg's in 1933; Crackle and Pop joined him on the box a few years later.

Tony the Tiger's cereal launched in 1952 under what name?

Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes of Corn debuted in 1952 alongside Tony the Tiger; the word 'Sugar' was quietly dropped from the name in 1983.

Tony the Tiger beat out which other animal mascots to become the face of Frosted Flakes?

Katy the Kangaroo and Elmo the Elephant, along with Newt the Gnu, lost out to Tony, who was drawn by Eugene Kolkey with finished artwork by Martin Provensen.

Which Christmas song was famously sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, the longtime voice of Tony the Tiger?

Thurl Ravenscroft sang 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' for the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, uncredited, so many viewers assumed narrator Boris Karloff had sung it.

Which General Mills cereal was the first to include marshmallows in the recipe?

Lucky Charms was first; developer John Holahan got the idea by mixing oat rings with chopped-up Brach's circus peanuts.

What is the industry term for the little marshmallow pieces in General Mills' leprechaun-fronted cereal?

Marbits, short for 'marshmallow bits', is General Mills' term for the dried marshmallow pieces in Lucky Charms; the mix of shapes was changed repeatedly because sales rose whenever it did.

Which existing General Mills cereal was Trix a sugar-coated version of when it launched in 1954?

Trix launched in 1954 as a sugar-coated version of Kix, General Mills' 1937 puffed cereal; Cocoa Puffs, introduced in 1958, uses the same puffed-ball shape.

In what year did the animated Trix Rabbit and 'Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!' first appear?

The Trix Rabbit and 'Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!' both debuted in 1959, created by Joe Harris, a copywriter and illustrator at the Dancer Fitzgerald Sample agency.

What is the full name of the Quaker Oats naval-captain mascot whose ship is called the Guppy?

Horatio Magellan Crunch was born on Crunch Island in the Sea of Milk, sails the S.S. Guppy, and is pursued by the Soggies and the pirate Jean LaFoote.

A 2013 controversy noted Cap'n Crunch's sleeve bars matched which rank, not a captain's?

The mascot has worn one, two or three bars over the years and was finally given four bars in May 2024.

Cap'n Crunch's flavour came from a brown-sugar-and-butter topping served over what?

Flavorist Pamela Low of Arthur D. Little based the 1963 recipe on the brown sugar and butter sauce her grandmother in Derry, New Hampshire served over rice.

Which animation studio produced the original Cap'n Crunch commercials?

Jay Ward Productions, the studio behind Rocky and Bullwinkle, made the original 1963 Cap'n Crunch commercials, with Daws Butler providing the Cap'n's voice.

Which three colours were the only Froot Loops colours when the cereal launched in 1963?

Red, orange and yellow were the only Froot Loops colours in 1963, matching the stripes on Toucan Sam's bill; green, blue and purple loops were added during the 1990s.

How many different flavours are there among the colours of Froot Loops?

All Froot Loops colours share one flavour, a single fruit blend; the colours are purely cosmetic, and versions sold outside the US use fewer, plant-derived dyes.

Which cereal was popularised in the 1970s by the 'Hey, Mikey! He likes it!' commercial?

Little Mikey was played by four-year-old John Gilchrist; a later version swapped the brothers for lumberjacks.

Apple Jacks were invented in 1965 by William Thilly, who was what at the time?

William Thilly created Apple Jacks in 1965 as a college intern at Kellogg's while studying at MIT; the cereal was sold as 'Apple O's' in its first years.

Which two General Mills monster cereals launched together in March 1971?

Boo Berry, the first blueberry-flavoured cereal, followed in December 1972.

What harmless side effect led to Franken Berry being reformulated in 1972?

An unabsorbed red dye turned children's stool pink; a 1972 Pediatrics case report dubbed it 'Franken Berry stool', and General Mills reformulated the dye.

Which cereal, launched in 1953, was the sweetest on the US market at 56 per cent sweetener by weight?

Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, launched in 1953, was 56 per cent sugar by weight, topping Post's Sugar Crisp; the cereal was renamed Honey Smacks in the 1980s.

What kind of animal is Dig'em, the Honey Smacks mascot introduced in 1972?

Dig'em is a frog, introduced in 1972; earlier Sugar Smacks mascots included Cliffy the Clown, Smaxey the Seal and the Hanna-Barbera character Quick Draw McGraw.

Bennison Osborne's Australian wheat-biscuit cereal, later adapted for Britain, was sold under what name?

Weet-Bix was developed in Australia by Bennison Osborne in the 1920s; Osborne then took the idea to Britain, where Weetabix production began in 1932.

Which Swiss physician developed muesli around 1900 for patients in his hospital?

Maximilian Bircher-Benner served muesli at his Zurich sanatorium from around 1900; his original recipe was mostly grated apple with a spoonful of soaked oats, lemon juice and condensed milk.

What was the first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal sold in the United Kingdom, in 1902?

Force wheat flakes, an American cereal launched in Britain in 1902, was the UK's first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal and remained on sale there into the 21st century.

Puffed rice, shot from cannon-like tubes, was first demonstrated to the public at which event?

Alexander Anderson demonstrated puffed rice, blasted from cannon-like tubes, at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis; Quaker later sold it as 'the food shot from guns'.

The Quaker Oats man, adopted in 1877, was the first what for a breakfast cereal?

The Quaker Oats man was registered in 1877 as the first trademark for a breakfast cereal; the company has never had any connection to the Religious Society of Friends.

Which company bought Quaker Oats in 2001, mainly to get its hands on Gatorade?

PepsiCo completed its roughly $13.4 billion purchase of Quaker Oats in August 2001, chiefly to get Gatorade; Cap'n Crunch and Life cereals came with it.

Which toy company did Quaker Oats own from 1969 to 1991?

Quaker Oats bought Fisher-Price in 1969 and spun it off in 1991; it also bought Snapple for $1.7 billion in 1994 and sold it three years later for $300 million.

Kix was the first cereal made by which process, in 1937?

Kix, launched in 1937, was the first cereal produced by the puffing-by-extrusion process; its most famous prize was the 1947 Lone Ranger atomic bomb ring, which contained a speck of polonium.

The General Mills cereal that French Canada calls Croque-Cannelle is sold in the UK under what name?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is sold in the UK as Curiously Cinnamon, renamed from Cinnamon Grahams; in much of Europe and Latin America it is Cini Minis.

Ranger Joe, launched in 1939, was the first what?

Ranger Joe Popped Wheat Honnies, launched in 1939, was the first pre-sweetened cereal: honey-and-sugar-coated puffed wheat that opened the door to the post-war sugar-cereal boom.

Shredded wheat inventor Henry Perky received his key US patent in which year?

Henry Perky's US patent for his shredded wheat process was granted in 1895; he had meant to sell the shredding machines, but customers preferred the biscuits.

In 2023 the maker of Frosted Flakes split its North American cereal business into a new company called what?

WK Kellogg Co took the North American cereal business, including Frosted Flakes, in the October 2023 split; the rest of the company, with Pringles and Cheez-It, became Kellanova.

Who voiced Tony the Tiger from 2005, after the death of Thurl Ravenscroft?

Lee Marshall, a former wrestling announcer, voiced Tony the Tiger from 2005 until his own death in 2014; Thurl Ravenscroft had held the role for more than fifty years.

Roughly how many different breakfast cereals were on the US market by 2012?

About 4,945 different breakfast cereals, roughly 5,000, were on the US market in 2012, up from about 160 in 1970 and 340 in 1998.

W. K. Kellogg's first full-page advert, which sent Corn Flakes sales soaring, ran in which magazine?

Kellogg's first full-page advertisement ran in the Ladies' Home Journal soon after the company's founding; within months Corn Flakes sales rose from about 33 cases a day to 2,900.

Which US state declared grits its official state food in 1976?

South Carolina declared grits its official state food in 1976, citing the dish's place in the state's history; Georgia followed in 2002 by naming grits its official prepared food.

Who began the American oats revolution in Akron, Ohio, in 1854?

Ferdinand Schumacher, later dubbed the 'Oatmeal King', began grinding oats in his Akron grocery in 1854 and founded the German Mills American Oatmeal Company there in 1856.

Which Ohio town hosted Henry Parsons Crowell's all-in-one oat factory?

Crowell bought the bankrupt Quaker Mill in Ravenna, Ohio in 1881 and consolidated grading, hulling, cutting, rolling and packing under one roof.

In what year was the Quaker Oats Company formed to replace the American Cereal Company?

The Quaker Oats Company was incorporated in New Jersey in 1901, replacing the American Cereal Company; by then the Quaker brand already had national reach.

Which child star appeared in Quaker's celebrity promotions of the 1920s and 30s?

Babe Ruth and boxer Max Baer were also part of Crowell's advertising blitz.

Which pancake brand did Quaker Oats acquire in 1926?

Quaker Oats bought the Aunt Jemima Mills Company in 1926; Gatorade followed in 1983 and Rice-A-Roni maker Golden Grain in 1986.

In which city did Henry Perky first sell shredded wheat, in 1892?

Henry Perky began making shredded wheat in Denver in 1892, selling the biscuits to vegetarian restaurants and hotels before moving production east to Massachusetts.

At which Minneapolis ballpark did the 'Breakfast of Champions' slogan first appear, in 1933?

'Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions' first appeared in 1933 on a signboard at Nicollet Park, home of the minor-league Minneapolis Millers, whose games Wheaties sponsored on radio.

Which boxed wheat cereal did George H. Hoyt create around 1879?

Wheatena, created by George H. Hoyt around 1879, was sold in sealed boxes at a time when grocers scooped cereal from open barrels, making the package a sanitary novelty.

Where in New York did John Harvey Kellogg train as a doctor in 1875?

John Harvey Kellogg earned his MD at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York in 1875, a year before taking charge of the Battle Creek health institute.

Which religious denomination founded the Battle Creek health institute in 1866?

Seventh-day Adventists, led by Ellen G. White, opened the Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek in 1866; its regimen included hydrotherapy, a vegetarian diet and no coffee or tea.

Roughly how many rival cereal makers sprang up around Battle Creek after Cornflakes took off?

About forty rival cereal companies set up in Battle Creek in the years around 1902, hoping to ride the Kellogg and Post boom; only a handful lasted.

In what year did W. K. Kellogg found his own corn flake company?

W. K. Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1906, dropped the health-food angle for heavy advertising, and printed his signature on every box.

What was C. W. Post's first product, launched before Grape-Nuts?

Postum, a roasted wheat-and-bran coffee substitute, was C. W. Post's first product, launched in 1895; Grape-Nuts followed in 1897.

Post's company took what name in 1929 after buying Jell-O, Maxwell House and Birdseye?

The Postum Company became General Foods in 1929 after buying Jell-O, Maxwell House and Birdseye; Philip Morris bought General Foods for $5.6 billion in 1985 and merged it with Kraft in 1989.

How many packages of Force wheat flakes sold in Britain in its peak year of 1930?

The Sunny Jim mascot helped make it a British household name.

W. K. Kellogg's California ranch, donated in 1932, became the campus of which university?

Kellogg deeded his Pomona ranch to the University of California in 1932; transferred to the state in 1949, it became the Kellogg campus of Cal Poly Pomona.

How many milling companies merged to form General Mills in 1928?

The new firm sponsored radio shows like Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy.

Which swimming star helped verify the 'Breakfast of Champions' slogan?

Boxer Jack Dempsey was another early endorser; by 1941 the brand had 12 percent of the market.

A January 2025 study found nine sugary cereals accounted for what share of all cereal bought?

It tracked 77,000 households over nine years and found kids' ads, not adults' ads, drove sales.

How many boxes of cereal did Americans buy across 2016 and 2017?

Cold cereal made up 88 percent of a $9.8 billion market.

What share of the US cold-cereal market did Kellogg's and General Mills each hold around 2017?

Kellogg's and General Mills each held roughly 30 percent of US cold-cereal sales around 2017, in a market then worth about $9 billion a year.

Where was Kellogg's largest factory, also its UK headquarters?

Crunchy Nut was invented by employees there in 1980.

What was the first cereal box premium, offered with Corn Flakes from 1909?

The Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures Book, a flip-page booklet, was given away with Corn Flakes from 1909 as the first cereal premium, at first in stores and from 1912 by mail.

In which year did the Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company become simply the Kellogg Company?

The company, which had made more than corn flakes since adding Bran Flakes in 1915 and All-Bran in 1916, took the shorter name Kellogg Company in 1922.

Which company bought WK Kellogg Co in September 2025?

Ferrero, the Italian maker of Nutella, bought WK Kellogg Co for about $3.1 billion in 2025, roughly two years after the Battle Creek cereal business was spun off from Kellogg.

Which company agreed in August 2024 to buy Kellanova for about $36 billion?

Mars Inc. agreed in August 2024 to buy Kellanova, maker of Pringles, Eggo and Cheez-It, for about $36 billion including debt, one of the largest food deals ever.

What did W. K. Kellogg breed at the ranch he founded?

W. K. Kellogg bred Arabian horses at the ranch he founded in Pomona, California in 1925; he also established the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 1930.

How large was W. K. Kellogg's 1934 stock gift to his Kellogg Foundation?

Kellogg gave the W. K. Kellogg Foundation about $66 million in Kellogg Company stock in 1934, four years after founding it to promote child health and welfare.

Roughly how many guests could the Battle Creek Sanitarium hold at its peak?

After a 15-storey tower was added in 1928, the Battle Creek Sanitarium could accommodate about 1,300 guests; the complex had been rebuilt after a devastating 1902 fire.

Which actor plays a fictionalised Dr. Kellogg in the 1994 film The Road to Wellville?

Anthony Hopkins played Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in Alan Parker's 1994 comedy The Road to Wellville, with Matthew Broderick and John Cusack among the sanitarium's guests.

Why did John Harvey Kellogg rename his cereal 'Granola' in 1881?

Jackson's original 1863 product was called Granula.

What did John Harvey Kellogg name the firm he formed in 1890 to sell health foods?

Its first batch of Sanitas Toasted Corn Flakes appeared in 1898.

In what year was the Kellogg patent for flaked cereals granted?

The Kelloggs' patent for 'Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same' was granted in 1896; the first flakes, made in 1894, were wheat, with corn following later.

Which Swiss-style muesli did Weetabix launch in Britain in 1971?

Alpen, launched by Weetabix Limited in 1971, brought Swiss-style muesli to British supermarkets, its name and Alpine packaging evoking Switzerland.

Where is Post Consumer Brands headquartered?

Post Consumer Brands has been based in Lakeville, Minnesota since its 2015 merger with MOM Brands; its parent Post Holdings sits in St. Louis.

Which peanut butter brand does Post Consumer Brands market?

Post Consumer Brands bought the Peter Pan peanut butter brand from Conagra in 2021; it also picked up Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food from J.M. Smucker in 2023.

Why did Post rename Elijah's Manna as Post Toasties in 1908?

Clergy and other religious groups objected to a cereal named after the prophet Elijah, and Britain refused to register the trademark, so Post renamed it Post Toasties in 1908.

Whom did Post pay handsomely in the 1930s to draw cartoon animals for Post Toasties boxes?

Walt Disney's studio drew Mickey Mouse and other characters for Post Toasties from 1934, with cut-out figures printed on the backs of the boxes.

How were the first Grape-Nuts turned into crumbs?

Post baked the mixture as a rigid sheet, broke it up and ground it.

Which Post cereal was created by an employee mixing other cereals and having his daughter taste them?

Honey Bunches of Oats grew from Post employee Vernon J. Herzing's three years of blending other cereals, with his daughter Kimberly as taster, before its 1989 launch.

What is the Canadian name of Post's puffed-wheat cereal that Americans know as Golden Crisp?

Sugar Crisp kept its original name in Canada while the US version became Golden Crisp in the 1980s; Sugar Bear sings 'Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp'.

On what date did Post launch Pebbles cereal featuring The Flintstones?

It is the oldest surviving cereal based on TV or film characters.

Who invented Alpha-Bits for Post in the late 1950s?

Post employee Thomas M. Quigley created the letter-shaped oat-and-corn cereal Alpha-Bits in the late 1950s; a Marshmallow Alpha-Bits spin-off followed in 1990.

Which honey-flavoured cereal did Post first release in 1965?

Honeycomb, launched by Post in 1965, has corn-and-oat pieces shaped like the cells of a beehive and was advertised from the 1970s with the 'Honeycomb Hideout' clubhouse.

Oreo O's were discontinued in 2007 everywhere except which country?

Oreo O's survived only in South Korea, where Dongsuh Foods kept making them after the 2007 discontinuation elsewhere; Post restarted US production in June 2017.

Which employee of an advertising agency conceived Oreo O's?

An Ogilvy & Mather staffer conceived Oreo O's, launched in 1997 as a Post cereal under licence from Nabisco; the licence lapsed when Post was spun off from Kraft in 2007.

Which company first produced Shreddies, in Canada in 1939?

Nestlé's Cereal Partners sells them in the UK and Ireland today.

Which Post cereal had Linus the Lionhearted as its mascot?

Linus the Lionhearted fronted Post Crispy Critters, an animal-shaped oat cereal launched in 1963, and got his own Saturday-morning cartoon series in 1964.

Near which natural landmark did the Shredded Wheat Company build its famous 1901 factory?

The Shredded Wheat Company opened its 'Palace of Light' factory at Niagara Falls, New York in 1901, touting pure water and cheap hydro-electric power; a Canadian plant followed across the river in 1904.

Where is General Mills headquartered?

The company began as a flour miller at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.

Which company makes Cheerios for the Australian market?

In Australia Cheerios are an Uncle Tobys product, made under Nestlé's Cereal Partners arrangement with General Mills rather than by General Mills itself.

Since 2006, Honey Nut Cheerios gets its 'nut' flavour from what?

From 2006 the 'natural almond flavor' in Honey Nut Cheerios has come from peach and apricot pits rather than actual almonds, which were dropped from the recipe that year.

Who was the first athlete spokesman shown on the front of a Wheaties box?

Bob Richards, the 1952 and 1956 Olympic pole vault champion, became the first athlete on the front of a Wheaties box in 1958.

Who was the first woman pictured on a Wheaties box, in 1934?

Aviator Elinor Smith, who set altitude and endurance records as a teenager, was the first woman on a Wheaties box in 1934; Babe Didrikson followed in 1935.

What were the four original Lucky Charms marshmallow shapes?

Lucky Charms launched in 1964 with pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars and green clovers; blue diamonds arrived in 1975 and purple horseshoes in 1983.

Which wizard briefly replaced Lucky the Leprechaun in 1975 New England test markets?

Waldo the Wizard fronted Lucky Charms in 1975 New England test markets, but Lucky the Leprechaun won the consumer vote and returned as mascot.

Which yogurt brand, once majority-owned by General Mills, made Trix-flavoured yogurt for kids?

Yoplait, in which General Mills held a 51 percent stake until 2021, sold Trix yogurt in flavours such as Watermelon Burst.

What kind of bird is Sonny, the Cocoa Puffs mascot?

His catchphrase is 'I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!'

Who was the original jolly baker mascot of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

Wendell, a jolly baker, was the original Cinnamon Toast Crunch mascot from 1984, at first alongside fellow bakers Bob and Quello; the 'Crazy Squares' replaced him in 2009.

In what year was Cinnamon Toast Crunch first produced?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch was introduced by General Mills in 1984; its squares are wheat and rice coated in cinnamon sugar.

What was Chex originally called when it launched in the late 1930s?

Chex began as Shredded Ralston in the late 1930s, took the Chex name in 1950, and was sold by Ralston Purina to General Mills in 1997.

Which sauce featured in the original Chex Mix recipe?

The original 1952 Chex Party Mix recipe, printed on the cereal boxes, tossed the cereal in melted butter, Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt.

Which grain is Kix, introduced in 1937, made from?

Kix is made from cornmeal puffed into crunchy balls; it launched in 1937 as one of General Mills' first ready-to-eat cereals after Wheaties.

Reese's Puffs sold how many boxes in 2018?

That added up to $121 million in sales; artificial colours had been removed in 2015.

Which monster cereal was introduced in 2023?

Carmella Creeper, a zombie DJ billed as Franken Berry's cousin, joined the Monster Cereals line in 2023, the first new monster character in more than three decades.

Which two General Mills monster cereals had only limited runs?

Fruit Brute (1974–82) and Yummy Mummy (1987–92) were the short-lived monsters, later revived for retro runs; Fruit Brute came back in 2013 and again in 2022 respelled Frute Brute.

Where is Cereal Partners Worldwide, the General Mills-Nestlé venture, headquartered?

Cereal Partners Worldwide, founded in 1990, is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, near Nestlé's own Vevey headquarters, and markets cereals in more than 130 countries outside the US and Canada.

Which of these General Mills cereals was launched in 1985?

Fiber One, launched by General Mills in 1985 as a high-fibre bran cereal, is spelled Fibre One in the UK and Fibre 1 in Canada.

Which Mexican-food brand, known for taco shells and dinner kits, is owned by General Mills?

Old El Paso came to General Mills with its 2001 purchase of Pillsbury and sits alongside Betty Crocker and Häagen-Dazs among the company's non-cereal brands.

When did French Toast Crunch return to US shelves after being discontinued in 2006?

French Toast Crunch returned to US stores in December 2014 after an eight-year absence; it had stayed on sale in Canada, where its French name is Croque pain doré.

Which cereal, introduced in 1955, was long marketed as a low-fat weight-loss food?

Special K, made from lightly toasted rice, wheat and barley, arrived in the United States in 1955.

Under which names is Kellogg's sugar-coated shredded-wheat cereal sold in the UK?

Toppas is the name in some European countries and Mini-Wheats! in Canada.

Why can't the name 'Frosted Flakes' be trademarked?

The word 'sugar' was dropped from the name in 1983.

Which ad man gave Tony the Tiger his name?

Raymond Anthony Wells, an executive at the Leo Burnett agency, gave Tony the Tiger his name; Eugene Kolkey designed the character and Martin Provensen did the finished artwork.

What nationality was Tony the Tiger given when he was 'humanised' in the 1970s?

He was named 'Tiger of the Year' in 1974 and appeared on the cover of Italian GQ.

What was the name of the short-lived fourth Rice Krispies elf of the 1950s?

Pow, a fourth elf representing the cereal's 'explosive nutritional value', appeared in two Rice Krispies commercials in the 1950s before being dropped.

In physics, snap, crackle and pop name which time derivatives of position?

After velocity, acceleration and jerk, the fourth, fifth and sixth time derivatives of position are nicknamed snap, crackle and pop after the Rice Krispies elves.

Which voice legend first voiced Toucan Sam, using an ordinary American accent?

Mel Blanc was Toucan Sam's first voice in the 1960s, speaking in an ordinary American accent and pig Latin; Paul Frees later gave him an English accent, and Maurice LaMarche took over in 1986.

Which actor did Paul Frees imitate for Toucan Sam's refined voice?

Paul Frees modelled Toucan Sam's refined English voice on actor Ronald Colman; Maurice LaMarche kept the impression going from 1986 into the 2020s.

Which complaint did 1990s Apple Jacks adverts answer with 'We eat what we like'?

The 1990s Apple Jacks commercials had kids meet the grown-up complaint 'they don't taste like apples' with a shrug and the line 'We eat what we like'.

Which radio and TV western did Sugar Pops sponsor?

Sugar Pops sponsored The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok on radio and television in the 1950s, with star Guy Madison pitching the cereal; the brand later became Corn Pops.

Which fat did health advocates push Kellogg's to remove from Cracklin' Oat Bran in 1989?

Coconut oil is 92 percent saturated fat.

What was Kellogg's Product 19 marketed as containing?

Launched in 1967, it was discontinued in 2016.

What was Kellogg's chocolate-flavoured crisped-rice cereal briefly renamed in 2003?

Kellogg's renamed Cocoa Krispies, launched in 1958, as Cocoa Rice Krispies in 2003 to tie it to the parent brand, then restored the old name in 2006.

What was Crunchy Nut first called in the US?

Crunchy Nut reached the US as Honey & Nut Corn Flakes before a 1987 rename to Nut & Honey Crunch, which spawned the 'nuttin', honey' pun adverts.

Where was Crunchy Nut created in 1980?

It combines corn flakes, honey, three types of sugar and chopped peanuts.

Where was Kashi founded in 1984?

Kashi was founded in La Jolla, California in 1984 by Philip and Gayle Tauber; its name blends 'kashruth' with the surname of macrobiotics advocate Michio Kushi.

In what year did Kellogg's begin producing Pop-Tarts?

Kellogg's launched Pop-Tarts in 1964, beating Post, which had announced its own shelf-stable toaster pastry, Country Squares, a year earlier, to the shelves.

Cap'n Crunch was one of the first cereals to deliver flavour how?

That required an innovative baking process when it launched in 1963.

In which year did Quaker introduce its Instant Oatmeal in single-serve packets?

Quaker Instant Oatmeal arrived in 1966, pre-cooked and rolled thin so a packet needed only hot water, and became the company's biggest hot-cereal line.

Which companion cereal was launched alongside Quisp in 1965?

Jay Ward, of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame, made the commercials.

Which character actor voiced King Vitaman in the cereal's early commercials?

Joe Flynn, the exasperated Captain Binghamton of McHale's Navy, voiced King Vitaman in the cereal's early commercials; the brand ran from 1968 to 2019.

Which company's first major sweetened cereal was Freakies?

It was sold with a cast of seven creatures collectively called the Freakies.

Where is Weetabix manufactured in the UK?

Weetabix has been made at Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire since 1932, with a second plant at nearby Corby; the North American version is made in Cobourg, Ontario.

Which hot oat cereal does Weetabix Limited make in 'original' and 'chocolate' varieties?

Ready Brek, which Weetabix Limited bought from Lyons in 1990, is a mix of rolled oat flakes and oat flour fortified with vitamins, sold in original and chocolate varieties.

What was the Honey Monster's cereal called before its 2014 rebrand?

Sugar Puffs, launched by Quaker in 1957, became Honey Monster Puffs in 2014 when the sugar-heavy name was dropped; the big hairy yellow Honey Monster dates from 1976.

Where was Cream of Wheat first manufactured in 1893?

Cream of Wheat was first made in 1893 by the Diamond Milling Company of Grand Forks, North Dakota, from the fine wheat middlings left over from flour milling; production moved to Minneapolis in 1897.

Cream of Wheat is a brand of what type of hot cereal?

Cream of Wheat is a farina, a hot cereal made from wheat middlings, which makes it smoother than corn-based grits.

Which company acquired Cream of Wheat from Kraft in 2007?

B&G Foods bought Cream of Wheat from Kraft in 2007 for about $200 million; Nabisco had owned the brand from 1961 until Kraft absorbed Nabisco in 2000.

In which Minnesota town has Malt-O-Meal been made since 1927?

John Campbell founded Malt-O-Meal in Owatonna in 1919 and moved production to Northfield, Minnesota in 1927, where the company built its largest cereal plant.

In which year did the FDA approve its first food-specific health claim, covering oats?

In January 1997 the FDA approved its first food-specific health claim, allowing oatmeal and other whole-oat foods to say they may reduce the risk of heart disease.

What was Bircher-Benner's original muesli soaked in overnight?

Bircher-Benner's recipe soaked a spoonful of rolled oats in water overnight, then mixed them with grated apple, nuts, lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk.

How is granola traditionally different from muesli?

Unlike muesli, it is sweetened and baked; modern granola took shape in the 1960s, evolving from the old Granula.

Steel-cut groats are also known by which name?

Steel-cut groats are called pinhead oats in Britain and Ireland, and also coarse or Irish oatmeal, because each groat is chopped into pinhead-sized pieces rather than rolled flat.

Where was Force, the first successful wheat-flake cereal, first produced in 1901?

Force was first made in Buffalo, New York in 1901 by Edward Ellsworth's Force Food Company, and reached Britain the following year.

Which mascot fronted the Force cereal brand?

Sunny Jim, a cheerful top-hatted figure with a pigtail, fronted Force from 1902 with rhyming adverts ('High o'er the fence leaps Sunny Jim') and became a British household name.

What colour is Cap'n Crunch's naval coat?

Cap'n Crunch wears a blue Napoleonic-style naval coat with gold trim, topped by a blue hat bearing a large 'C'.

For how many years did Skinner hold the raisin bran name before Kellogg's and Post sold their own?

Skinner's Raisin-BRAN, introduced in 1926, was the first raisin bran brand on the market.

Which General Mills cereal's first ads used a jingle based on a James A. Bland song?

Golden Grahams, introduced in 1976, launched with a jingle set to James A. Bland's 1879 minstrel song 'Oh, Dem Golden Slippers'; the squares carry a honey and brown sugar flavour.

What happened when Post changed the Honeycomb formula to make it healthier at the end of 2006?

Consumers panned the healthier late-2006 Honeycomb recipe, and Kraft, then Post's owner, rolled out an 'Improved Taste' version in March 2007 after the backlash.

Rice Krispies Treats were invented in 1939 by Kellogg employees Malitta Jensen and whom?

Mildred Day and Malitta Jensen created them in the Battle Creek kitchens as a promotion; renamed 'Rice Krispies Marshmallow Squares' in 1941, they were sold ready-made from 1995.

In which year did Kellogg introduce Frosted Mini-Wheats in the United States?

Kellogg's introduced Frosted Mini-Wheats in the US in 1969 as a large shredded-wheat biscuit in regular and brown sugar/cinnamon varieties; the bite-size version arrived in 1980.

Count Chocula's voice in the original commercials was an impression of which horror actor?

Larry Kenney voiced Count Chocula as an impression of Bela Lugosi's Dracula, while Franken Berry's voice mimicked Boris Karloff's Frankenstein monster.