Kellogg's drops rice from Rice Krispies and Coco Pops, now with wheat warning
Kellogg's has replaced rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops with rice flour and corn flour, citing weather-hit rice supplies, and both cereals now carry wheat allergen warnings.
How it was covered
- ITV carried 34% of the airtime and concentrated on allergen labelling risks and the cereal's changed sound and taste.
- Channel 5 concentrated on consumer complaints, taste tests and the missing snap, crackle and pop.
- BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
- BBC News: covered online, not found on air.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Kellogg's has changed the recipes for Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK, replacing rice grains with rice flour and corn flour. The company says changing weather conditions have affected the availability and quality of rice. BBC One West correspondent Lauren Moss reported that crops have been hit by dry weather across Asia.
Rice Krispies are now made with rice flour, while Coco Pops contain a blend of rice flour and corn flour. Both cereals now contain wheat and carry allergen warnings. They are no longer gluten-free, which puts them off the menu for people with a wheat allergy or coeliac disease.
BBC One West reported that there are around half a million people with coeliac disease in the UK, for whom gluten is an absolute no-no. ITV's Carrie Davis reported that allergy groups fear consumers could be caught out. Nadim, who set up a foundation after his daughter Natasha had a fatal allergic reaction, told ITV that the allergen update was on the front of the pack but was too small and too low on the shelf to be noticed easily.
Kellogg's says the allergen alert is in line with UK food labelling requirements, ITV reported. The company also told ITV that there is still a snap, crackle and pop, although it might be quieter.
Channel 5 reported that some shoppers had complained on social media and in supermarket reviews that the cereals no longer tasted as they used to. It said a QR code on the box links to Kellogg's website, where the company discusses adapting its recipes. In its taste test, Channel 5 found little difference in flavour but could not hear the famous sound. ITV's test also found the noise had changed, though it found not a lot of difference in taste.
BBC One West reported that none of Kellogg's other cereal lines have changed, and that Rice Krispies in the US and Canada are still made with real rice. A Kellogg's spokeswoman told BBC One West that the company appreciated even small changes to a much-loved product could feel noticeable. She said the updated recipes had been assessed for taste, appearance and texture, and that Kellogg's was listening to consumer feedback. Lauren Moss asked whether more recipe tweaks could follow as the climate changes.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 3 channels | |||
| Kellogg's changed the UK recipe for Rice Krispies to use rice flour and changed Coco Pops to a blend of rice flour and corn flour. | |||
| Wheat allergen warnings now appear on both Rice Krispies and Coco Pops. | |||
| Only on one channel | |||
| Kellogg's said its allergen alert met UK food labelling requirements. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Nadim said the front-of-pack allergen update was too small and could be missed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Rice Krispies sold in the US and Canada are still made with real rice. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Social media users complained that Coco Pops and Rice Krispies no longer tasted the same. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The first and most detailed report framed the change around climate-hit rice supplies, the mechanics of the new recipes and the consequences for people with coeliac disease. It set out the company's statement, noted that other Kellogg's lines and North American Rice Krispies were unchanged, and ended by asking whether more recipe changes could follow.
- “We're snap crackling. Rice Krispies and Coco Pops have been breakfast favourites for generations. But now their recipes are changing.”
- “Key commodities such as rice, cocoa and coffee are becoming extremely vulnerable to climate change.”
- “there's around half a million celiacs in the UK, gluten is an absolute no-no.”
This report concentrated on consumer reaction and the sensory impact of the recipe change, including social media complaints, supermarket reviews and a taste and sound test. It treated the missing rice as a consumer story first, with the climate explanation and allergen change covered more briefly.
- “Key ingredient though is now missing grains of rice”
- “this cocoa pops and Rice Krispies Just isn't tasting like it used to”
- “Can't hear anything”
ITV focused on the allergy and labelling consequences of the change, including fears that shoppers could be caught out and criticism that the allergen warning was too small. It also tested the altered sound and taste, while noting Kellogg's position that the labelling met UK requirements.
- “This product, famous as it is, is no longer suitable or can be bought for people with these allergies.”
- “Kellogg's say the allergen alert is in line with UK food labelling requirements and that changing weather conditions have disrupted rice supplies.”
- “there is still a noise, it might just be a lot quieter.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.