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Kellogg’s has reformulated its Rice Krispies and Coco Pops recipes, with the puffed breakfast cereals no longer made with whole rice grains in European markets.
The popular cereals are now made with rice flour and corn flour instead of whole rice grains, with the company’s decision to reformulate reportedly down to changing weather conditions in crop-growing regions that supply the brands’ ingredients.
According to BBC News, Kellogg’s told reporters that extreme weather in Spain, during 2022 and 2023 in particular, had reduced availability of the types of rice it uses in its cereal formulations.
The changes will only apply to the products in European markets, including the UK, with no changes to be made to Rice Krispies products in the US and Canada.
FoodBev has reached out to Kellogg’s for further information on whether the reformulation is being treated as a long-term solution, or a short-term adaptation to supply chain challenges that may be reversed.
Despite the company telling BBC News that care had been taken to retain the brand’s signature ‘snap, crackle and pop’ sound, it reportedly said the sound “may be quieter and not as instant as before”.
This statement comes following criticism from consumers, some of whom have claimed the taste and texture of the cereal has completely changed following the reformulation.
The products are also no longer suitable for consumers following a gluten-free diet, such as those with coeliac disease, due to the presence of wheat.
Wider reformulation trends
Food and beverage brands have faced challenging reformulation needs across snacking and other food categories in recent years, with extreme weather, geopolitical instability and demand for healthier foods among the many factors disrupting supply chains.
Chocolate is one such category that has taken a substantial hit, with ongoing cocoa shortages and the associated price surges driving major confectionery and bakery brands to explore partial cocoa replacement in recipes.
Meanwhile, ingredients companies have increasingly been innovating to provide cocoa alternative ingredients to market in recent years as a direct response to supply issues.
Cargill and Voyage Foods launched their cocoa-free NextCoa alternative ingredient in North America earlier this year, while this month, German start-up Planet A Foods unveiled Cocoa Booster, a single-ingredient functional cocoa powder replacement – its second innovation in the space.
The whey protein supply chain has also seen disruptions due to unprecedented consumer demand for protein-enriched foods and beverages, driven partially by the changing eating behaviours of GLP-1 medication users for weight management. This has forced manufacturers to assess alternative proteins, including plant-based proteins, other dairy options, or hybrid blends of both.
Recent research from the UK’s Food and Drink Federation highlights the significant challenges of reformulation for brands, with individual reformulation initiatives costing millions of pounds.
Ingredient distributor ACI Group noted the growing reformulation struggles as many brands seek to make formulations healthier, with the company warning that ‘seemingly minor changes’ can ripple through the entire formulation process and result in noticeable taste and texture changes.
“There are lots of variables at play in a recipe, more than we might first think,” said Karsten Smet, ACI Group’s CEO. “That also means that a recipe might work perfectly during development, but then behave very differently at scale, or lose stability and shelf life…successful reformulation needs an integrated understanding of how ingredients interact, not a series of one-for-one substitutions.”
