Rice Krispies

{{short description|Breakfast cereal made by WK Kellogg Co and Kellanova}} {{for multi|the related dessert|Rice Krispies Treats|the George Carlin sketch|A Place For My Stuff}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{infobox brand | name = Rice Krispies | logo = Rice Krispies logo.svg | logo_size = 150px | image = 2020-05-03 09 09 37 A sample of Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia.jpg | caption = | type = Cereal of crisped rice | currentowner = WK Kellogg Co (US, Canada, Caribbean)<br>Kellanova (rest of world) | origin = United States | introduced = {{start date and age|1928}} | discontinued = | previousowners = Kellogg Company (1927–2023) | related = | markets = Worldwide | ambassador = | tagline = | website = {{URL|https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/home.html|ricekrispies.com}} }} '''Rice Krispies''' (known as '''Rice Bubbles''' in Australia and New Zealand) is a breakfast cereal produced by WK Kellogg Co for the United States, Canada and the Caribbean and by Kellanova for the rest of the world.{{efn|WK Kellogg consists only of the North American cereal business of the former Kellogg Company (now Kellanova), which also covers the Caribbean. Both companies continue to use the Kellogg's brand name.}} Rice Krispies are made of crisped rice. When milk is added to the cereal the rice tends to collapse, creating the characteristic "snap, crackle and pop" sounds.<ref>[http://www.kelloggs.ca/en_CA/contact-us.html How does Kellogg's* Rice Krispies* cereal "talk"?] Kellogg Canada</ref>

Rice Krispies cereal has a long advertising history with the elf cartoon characters Snap, Crackle and Pop touting the brand.

==Background== Rice Krispies was released to the public by the Kellogg Company in 1928.<ref>See advertisements for Redner’s Pure Food Shop (in Dowagiac (MI) Daily News, 23 March 1928, 4); Handy Andy Community Stores (in Mansfield (LA) Enterprise, 28 March 1928, 3); and also “Saturday to be Kellogg Day Here,” Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmora, OK), 6 April 1928, 11.</ref>

The original patent called for using partially dried grain, which could be whole or broken, that would have 15–30% moisture which could then be shaped by existing processes for cereal production that include rolling, flaking, shredding, etc. After being processed to the desired shape the grain is dried to around 5–14% moisture content at which stage the grain will expand when subjected to a high temperature creating a light, low-density product that is crisp and easy to chew.<ref name=patent />

The “Snap, Crackle, Pop” slogan was in use as early as 1929, with “New! A cereal so crisp it actually crackles in cream!”<ref>”snap! crackle! pop!” (Kellogg’s ad). Los Angeles Evening Express, 28 February 1929, 11.</ref> In 1939 the cereal was advertised as staying "crackly crisp in milk or cream...not mushy!" with claims that the cereal would remain floating (without sinking to the bottom of the bowl) even after 2 hours in milk. They were not a shredded or flaked cereal type, but were instead created by a patented process that Kellogg's called "oven-popping".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c0kEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31|title=LIFE|date=12 June 1939|publisher=Time Inc|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=patent>{{Cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US1925267A/en|title=Cereal food}}</ref>

Following the 2023 spinoff of the North American cereal division of the original Kellogg Company, Rice Krispies are made by WK Kellogg Co for the United States, Canadian, and Caribbean markets and by Kellanova (the former Kellogg Company) for the rest of the world.

==Ingredients== Rice Krispies contain rice, sugar, salt, malt flavoring, iron, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), niacinamide, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) and vitamin D.

According to Kellogg's, the rice used in the US version of the cereal is grown in the states of Louisiana and Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kelloggsfamilyrewards.com/content/dam/kelloggsfamilyrewards/en_US/promotions/games/ricekrispies/frosted/puzzle.pdf |title=Rice Krispies Cereal Speaks to You |access-date=31 December 2016 |archive-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101001342/https://www.kelloggsfamilyrewards.com/content/dam/kelloggsfamilyrewards/en_US/promotions/games/ricekrispies/frosted/puzzle.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Health claims=== In 2010 the Kellogg Company was found by the Federal Trade Commission to be making unsubstantiated and misleading health claims in advertising on Rice Krispies boxes. Claims made by the company included "now helps support your child's immunity" and "has been improved to include antioxidants and nutrients that your family needs to help them stay healthy." The FTC had previously found fault with Kellogg's claims that Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal improved children's attentiveness by nearly 20%.<ref>Carey, Susan. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703340904575284701223216466?mod=WSJ_business_IndustryNews_DHC Snap, Crackle, Slap: FTC Objects to Kellogg's Rice Krispies Health Claim.] ''The Wall Street Journal.'' 4 June 2010.</ref>

==Variants== {{anchor|Variants}} ===Present day=== The names of other products within the Rice Krispies family vary depending on where they are sold: * Cocoa Krispies (called Coco Pops in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Greece and Italy), a chocolate flavored version (sold worldwide) * Rice Krispies with Vanilla Flavor, sold in Canada<ref name="vancan">{{cite web |url=http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=9830&company=2 |title=Rice Krispies with Vanilla Flavor Cereal |access-date=19 June 2007 |publisher=Kellogg Canada Inc. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708060540/http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?company=2&product=9830 |archive-date=8 July 2007 }}</ref> and South Africa<ref>[https://www.kelloggs.co.za/en_ZA/products/rice-krispies.html Kellogg's, Rice Krispies Original]</ref> * Rice Krispies Treats Cereal, contains bunches of krispies fused together by a marshmallow coating (introduced in March 1993)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-06-02-1993153164-story.html|title = Still Krispie after all these years Secret ingredient for crispy rice treats might just be nostalgia| date=2 June 1993|author-last1=Gubbins|author-first1=Teresa|work=The Baltimore Sun}}</ref> * Kellogg's Strawberry Krispies<ref>[https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/products/kellogg-s-rice-krispies-cereal-strawberry.html ricekrispies]</ref> * Kellogg's Rainbow Krispies<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/23606-kellogg-expands-rice-krispies-lineup-with-fruity-offering.html|title=Kellogg expands Rice Krispies lineup with ‘fruity’ offering|author-first1=Eric|author-last1=Schroeder|date=13 April 2023|work=Food Business News}}</ref> Many generic versions of Rice Krispies (including frosted and chocolate variants) have been produced by other manufacturers under many different names.

===Discontinued=== * Frosted Rice Krispies (called Ricicles in the UK and Ireland) * Rice Krispies with dehydrated miniature marshmallows (Marshmallow Rice Krispies, also known as Marshmallow Krispies, along with a tropical version, Fruity Marshmallow Krispies), were sold briefly in the United States and Canada.<ref name="xenter1">[http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/583.html/ "The Past In Candy"]{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, X-Entertainment. Article written 2002-01-02, retrieved 2006-11-29.</ref> Despite surviving longer in Canada than the United States, they were discontinued during the late 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=161|title=Fruity Marshmallow Krispies Cereal | MrBreakfast.com|website=www.mrbreakfast.com}}</ref> *Rice Krispies with strawberry flavor included 1983's Strawberry Krispies and 1997's Strawberry Rice Krispies. Australia had Strawberry Pops, a strawberry version of Rice Bubbles, which was discontinued in the mid-1970s, along with other similarly coloured and sweetened foods, due to concerns about the additives causing cancer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Banana-flavored Rice Krispies, including Banana Bubbles and Banana Krispies, have also been sold in the past. *Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies, an extremely sweet, artificially-colored cereal, was sold from late 1997 to 1999. *Apple Cinnamon Rice Krispies, a cereal flavored with apple and cinnamon, was sold in the early 1990s. *Rice Krispies with berry flavors, including Berry Krispies and Berry Rice Krispies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kelloggs.com/us/products/kelloggs_discontinued.shtml |title=Kellogg's Discontinued Products |access-date=27 April 2010 |publisher=Kellogg NA Co. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504121608/http://www.kelloggs.com/us/products/kelloggs_discontinued.shtml |archive-date=4 May 2010 }}</ref> *Rice Krispies with honey, Honey Rice Krispies, was sold in the UK and Canada for a short period of time in the late 1990s.

In the late 1990s, Kellogg's sold Halloween versions of their regular cereal. This included Halloween Rice Krispies which featured a variety of orange krispies.

===Rice Krispies Treats and similar sweets=== In 1939, Kellogg's employee Mildred Day concocted and published a recipe for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale consisting of Rice Krispies, melted marshmallows, and margarine. It has remained a very popular snack dubbed Rice Krispies Treats. Kellogg's themselves have now produced commercial varieties of both marshmallow and chocolate-based treats under the name Rice Krispies Squares in Canada<ref name="squaresca">[http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?family=127&template=rksbars Rice Krispies Squares], UK. Article retrieved 29 November 2006.</ref> and the UK, as well as versions under the original Rice Krispies Treats name sold in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ricekrispies.com/Cupboard_treats_detail.aspx?pid=45 |title=Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Original bars |access-date=19 June 2007 |publisher=Kellogg NA Co |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704213124/http://www.ricekrispies.com/Cupboard_treats_detail.aspx?pid=45 |archive-date=4 July 2007 }}</ref>

Kellogg's also produces commercial versions of Rice Krispie treats known as Rice Krispies Squares,<ref name="squaresca" /> cereal bars, and a multi-grain cereal known as Rice Krispies Multi-Grain (formerly Muddles<ref name="formermgname">[http://www.ciao.co.uk/Kellogg_s_Rice_Krispies_Muddles__5644730 "Kellogg's Rice Krispies Muddles"] (reference to former name), ciao.co.uk. Article retrieved 29 November 2006.</ref>) sold on the UK market. Primarily aimed at children, Multi-Grain contains a prebiotic and is claimed by Kellogg's to promote good digestive health.<ref name="klogsmg">[http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/product.asp?id=81 Kellogg's Rice Krispies Multi-Grain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924214242/http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/product.asp?id=81 |date=24 September 2006 }}, Kellogg's Interactive (kelloggs.co.uk). Article retrieved 29 November 2006.</ref>

In Australia, Rice Bubbles are found in a well-known homemade sweet, the chocolate crackle. This is often found at fetes and consists of Rice Bubbles, copha and cocoa, amongst other things. In the UK, a similar treat is made of Rice Krispies and melted chocolate. White Christmas is another Australian sweet made with Rice Bubbles, milk powder, copha and dried fruit.<ref>{{cite news |date=1959-12-16 |title=Cookery Corner |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article273745139 |accessdate=19 December 2024 |newspaper=The Standard |location=South Australia |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia |volume= |issue=20}}</ref>

=== South Africa === In 2018, the South African branch of Kellogg's replaced the classic Rice Krispies with Rice Krispies Vanilla, thereby discontinuing the production of the original Rice Krispies in the country. This change was met with a lot of public complaints.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The new Rice Krispies contain much less rice and much more sugar. South Africans seem to hate it|url=https://www.businessinsider.co.za/revolt-over-new-rice-krispies-2018-9|access-date=2020-11-22|website=BusinessInsider}}</ref> The new Rice Krispies Vanilla now contained 21.7 g sugar for every 100 g, up from only 9 g previously, and the taste was very poorly received. Despite the public's dislike of the new product, Kellogg's initially decided to continue replacing the original Rice Krispies with the new Rice Krispies Vanilla.<ref name=":0" /> In 2020, Kellogg's returned the original product to shelves,<ref name="ricebubblesau" /> but decided to import it from the UK as they determined it could no longer be produced locally.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=After a massive revolt, the old Rice Krispies are back – but pricier and imported from the UK|url=https://www.businessinsider.co.za/old-new-rice-krispies-2020-1|access-date=2020-11-22|website=BusinessInsider}}</ref> Import-related costs made the product more expensive for South African consumers.<ref name=":1" />

== Marketing history ==

=== Cartoon mascots === {{main|Snap, Crackle and Pop}} thumb|170px|Rice Krispies displayed with other Kellogg's products in a 1948 ad Snap, Crackle and Pop, the animated cartoon mascots for Rice Krispies, were created by illustrator Vernon Grant in 1933.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vernongrant.org/kelloggs.html|title=KELLOGG'S|website=VERNON GRANT}}</ref> The three characters are seen in Kellogg's 1933 national advertising<ref>"Let Rice Krispies Salute You at Breakfast on the Fourth" (advertisement). Good Housekeeping 97:1 (July 1933), 143</ref> and the three have since appeared together in many forms of advertising, including radio, movie shorts, and comic strips. An updated version of the elf-like Snap Crackle and Pop appeared for the first time on television in 1960; previously it was advertised by Woody Woodpecker. They are the first and longest-running cartoon characters to represent a Kellogg's product.<ref name="ricebubblesau">[http://www.kelloggs.com.au/Home/Products/Cereal/RiceBubbles/SnapCrackleandPop/tabid/477/Default.aspx Rice Bubbles: The history of Snap, Crackle and Pop!] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428061108/http://www.kelloggs.com.au/Home/Products/Cereal/RiceBubbles/SnapCrackleandPop/tabid/477/Default.aspx |date=28 April 2009 }}</ref> In physics, Snap, Crackle and Pop inspired shorthand names for the fourth, fifth, and sixth derivatives of position.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://info.aiaa.org/Regions/Western/Orange_County/Newsletters/Presentations%20Posted%20by%20Enrique%20P.%20Castro/AIAAOC_SnapCracklePop_docx.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030437/https://info.aiaa.org/Regions/Western/Orange_County/Newsletters/Presentations%20Posted%20by%20Enrique%20P.%20Castro/AIAAOC_SnapCracklePop_docx.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2018 |url-status=dead | title = Snap, Crackle, and Pop | last = Thompson | first = Peter M. | date = 5 May 2011 | website = AIAA Info | publisher = Systems Technology | location = Hawthorne, California | page = 1 | access-date = 7 May 2024 | quote = The common names for the first three derivatives are velocity, acceleration, and jerk. The not so common names for the next three derivatives are snap, crackle, and pop.}}</ref>

==="Snap, crackle and pop" sound === The cereal is marketed on the basis of the noises it produces when milk is added to the bowl. The onomatopoeic noises differ by country and language:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080531060910/http://www.ricekrispies.com/The_Tale.aspx "The Tale – Snap! Crackle! & Pop! story." Version from May 31, 2008] ''Kellogg's Rice Krispies.''</ref>

*English:'' Snap! Crackle! Pop!'' *Danish: ''Pif! Paf! Puf!'' *Swedish: ''Piff! Paff! Puff!''<ref name=ricebubblesau /> *German: ''Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!''<ref name=ricebubblesau /> *Spanish: ''Pim! Pam! Pum!''<ref name=ricebubblesau /> *Finnish: ''Riks! Raks! Poks!'' *French: ''Cric! Crac! Croc!'' *Dutch: ''Pif! Paf! Pof!'' *Afrikaans: ''Knap! Knetter! Knak!'' *Belgium: ''Poos! Pas! Pes!''

=== Prizes and premiums === In 1938 and 1939, Vernon Grant, the illustrator who created Snap, Crackle and Pop, produced a set of six illustrations of Mother Goose themes including Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Jack Be Nimble, Little Jack Horner, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that were offered as premiums in exchange for two Rice Krispies boxtops and a three-cent stamp.<ref name=vernongrantprints>{{Cite web|url=https://radiopremiumexchange.com/?p=126|title=1938 Kellogg's Rice Krispies Vernon Grant Prints « Radio Premium Exchange|website=radiopremiumexchange.com}}</ref>

==See also== * List of breakfast cereals

==Footnotes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Food}} {{commons category}} * {{official website}} * [http://home.howstuffworks.com/question393.htm How it works] * [http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060424_MM_rice_krispies.html Why Rice Krispies go "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"]   {{Rice Krispies}} {{WK Kellogg Co}} {{Kellanova}}

Category:Kellogg's cereals Category:Mars brands Category:Products introduced in 1928 Category:Rice dishes