Kellogg's facts for kids
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Formerly
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Kellogg Company |
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | February 19, 1906 (as Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company) in Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. |
| Founder | Will Keith Kellogg |
| Headquarters |
Chicago, Illinois
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US
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Steven Cahillane (chairman & CEO) |
| Products |
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| Brands |
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| Revenue |  US$13.1 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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US$1.51 billion (2023) |
 US$951 million (2023) |
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| Total assets | US$15.6 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | US$3.37 billion (2023) |
| Owners |
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Number of employees
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c. 23,000 (2023) |
Kellanova is a big food company from the United States. It used to be known as the Kellogg Company. Their main office is in Chicago, Illinois. Kellanova makes and sells many popular snack foods and convenience foods.
You might know some of their famous brands like Pringles chips, Pop-Tarts toaster pastries, Eggo waffles, and Cheez-It crackers. They also sell cereals like Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and Frosties in many countries around the world, but not in North America anymore.
Kellanova's products are sold in over 180 countries. Their biggest factory is in Trafford Park in the United Kingdom. They also have offices in places like Dublin, Shanghai, and Mexico.
In October 2023, the Kellogg Company split into two separate businesses. One new company, called WK Kellogg Co, now handles the cereal business in North America. The original company was renamed Kellanova. Kellanova now focuses on snack brands and the international cereal business. This split was done to help each part of the business grow better. The name "Kellogg's" is still used as a brand name by both companies.
Contents
The Story of Kellanova
The story of Kellanova began in 1876. That's when John Harvey Kellogg became the boss of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a health resort. His brother, W. K. Kellogg, worked there too. This is where the famous corn flakes were first made.
W. K. Kellogg helped his brother research new vegetarian foods for the patients. They are most famous for inventing flaked cereal. In 1894, they accidentally discovered how to make flakes from wheat dough. John Kellogg left some dough out, and the next day, instead of throwing it away, he rolled it out. To his surprise, it made delicate flakes that could be baked!
W. K. Kellogg thought these flakes would be a great food. Soon, guests at the Sanitarium wanted to buy the flaked wheat to take home. But John didn't want his brother to sell the cereal to everyone. This caused a disagreement between them.
So, on February 19, 1906, W. K. Kellogg started his own company called the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. A fire destroyed his main factory in 1907, but W.K. quickly rebuilt it in just six months.
After convincing his brother to let him use the family name, Will's company became very successful with Kellogg's Toasted Corn Flakes. In 1909, it was renamed the Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company, and then in 1922, it became the Kellogg Company.
By 1909, Will's company was making 120,000 cases of Corn Flakes every day! John was not happy about his brother's success and tried to stop him from using the Kellogg name. But in 1920, a court decided that Will had the right to use the name.
In 1931, during a tough economic time called the Great Depression, the Kellogg Company did something special. They changed their work week from 40 hours to 30 hours in most factories. W.K. Kellogg did this so they could hire more people and help them have jobs. This continued for many years.
In 1964, Kellogg's introduced its first product that wasn't cereal: Pop-Tarts, a pastry you can heat in a toaster.
In the 1980s, Kellogg's focused on making cereals for adults, not just kids. They introduced new products like Crispix and Nutri-Grain Biscuits. They also started selling their products more around the world.
Kellanova in the 21st Century
In 2001, Kellogg's bought the Keebler Company, which makes cookies and crackers. Over the years, they also bought other brands like Morningstar Farms (vegetarian foods) and Kashi (natural foods).
In 2012, Kellogg's became the second-largest snack food company in the world when they bought Pringles potato crisps.
In 2017, they bought Rxbar, a company that makes protein bars. They also started selling new organic and plant-based cereals in the UK under the W. K. Kellogg brand.
In 2018, Kellogg's stopped its business in Venezuela because of economic problems there. The Venezuelan government took over their factories.
In 2019, Kellogg's sold some of its cookie and cracker brands, like Famous Amos and most of Keebler, to another company called Ferrero. However, they kept the Keebler cracker line and changed the name to Kellogg's.
Kellogg's also works on helping people. In 2019, they announced their "Better Days" plan to help with hunger, children's needs, and supporting farmers. They also teamed up with GLAAD to create a special "All Together Cereal" to raise awareness about anti-bullying.
In 2021, workers at Kellogg's cereal factories in the US went on strike because they wanted better working conditions and pay. After 77 days, they reached an agreement, and the strike ended.
In 2022, Kellogg's announced they would split into three companies: one for North American cereal, one for snacks and international cereal, and one for plant-based foods. In 2023, they decided to keep the plant-based food business as part of the snack and international cereal company. This led to the creation of WK Kellogg Co (for North American cereal) and Kellanova (for snacks and international cereal and plant-based foods) on October 2, 2023.
Brands You Might Know
Kellanova makes many popular foods. Here are some of their well-known brands:
- Cheez-It Crackers
- Eggo
- Fruit Winders
- Morningstar Farms
- Nutri-Grain
- Pop-Tarts
- Pringles
- Rxbar
- Rice Krispies Treats
- Special K (snack bars)
International Cereals
Kellanova sells many different cereals outside of North America. Here are some of them:
- All-Bran
- Apple Jacks
- Chocos (India, Europe)
- Cocoa Krispies or Coco Pops
- Corn Flakes
- Corn Pops
- Crispix
- Crunchy Nut
- Froot Loops
- Frosted Flakes (called Frosties outside the US/Canada)
- Frosted Mini-Wheats
- Honey Smacks (US)/Smacks (other markets)
- Just Right
- Krave
- Mini-Wheats
- Nutri-Grain
- Raisin Bran/Sultana Bran
- Rice Krispies/Rice Bubbles
- Special K
Cereals and Foods No Longer Made
Over the years, Kellogg's has also stopped making some cereals and foods, like:
- Banana Bubbles
- C-3PO's cereal (from Star Wars)
- Coco Pops Strawss
- Frosted Krispies
- Kream Krunch
- Krumbles cereal
- Mr. T's Muscle Crunch
- Pep (famous for sponsoring the Superman radio show)
- Pokémon Cereal
- Ricicles (UK Only)
- Strawberry Rice Krispies
- Yogos
How Kellanova Connects with People
Kellogg's has always been good at telling people about their products. They used a famous jingle: "K E double-L, O double-good, Kellogg's best to you!"
They also sponsored popular TV shows like What's My Line? and Dragon Tales.
Kellogg's is a big supporter of sports. They sponsor USA Gymnastics and have even put famous Olympic athletes on their cereal boxes. They also sponsor college football games, like the "Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl" and the "Cheez-It Citrus Bowl."
Fun Prizes and Giveaways
Will Keith Kellogg was the first to put prizes inside cereal boxes! This marketing idea has led to billions of different prizes being given away.
In 1909, Kellogg's Corn Flakes offered a "Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures Book." You could get it by buying two boxes of cereal or by mailing in a dime. Over 2.5 million copies were given out!
Later, in 1945, Kellogg's put small pin-back buttons in every box of Pep cereal. These buttons featured U.S. Army squadrons and characters from comic strips. Other cereal companies soon started putting prizes in their boxes too.
Famous Mascots
Many Kellogg's cereals have fun mascots that help you remember them:
- Cocoa Krispies/Coco Pops: Coco the Monkey, Melvin the Elephant, and Snap, Crackle and Pop
- Corn Flakes: Cornelius the Rooster
- Frosted Flakes/Frosties: Tony the Tiger
- Froot Loops: Toucan Sam
- Honey Smacks/Smacks: Dig 'Em Frog
- Raisin Bran: Sunny the Sun
- Rice Krispies/Rice Bubbles: Snap, Crackle and Pop
- Apple Jacks: CinnaMon and Bad Apple
- Keebler cookies and crackers: Ernie and the Elves
Important Issues
Advertising and Nutrition
Sometimes, Kellogg's has faced questions about their advertising. For example, in 2010, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said some of their claims about cereals were misleading. Kellogg's agreed to change their ads.
There have also been discussions about the nutritional value of some Kellogg's products, especially about their sugar content. Some people have also questioned if products like Pop-Tarts have enough real fruit or certain ingredients.
Product Recalls
Like many food companies, Kellogg's has had to recall products sometimes to keep people safe.
- In 2010, they recalled about 28 million boxes of cereals like Apple Jacks and Froot Loops. This was because of an unusual smell and taste from the packaging that made some people feel sick.
- In 2012, they recalled some "Frosted Mini-Wheats" because small pieces of metal mesh might have gotten into the food.
Worker Concerns
In 2016, there were concerns about how palm oil (an ingredient used in some products) was sourced by one of Kellogg's suppliers. A human rights group said that the supplier had problems with how workers were treated. Kellogg's said they were working to make sure their ingredients were sourced responsibly.
In October 2021, over a thousand employees at Kellogg's cereal factories in the United States went on strike. They were asking for better working conditions and higher wages. After 77 days, the workers and the company agreed on a new contract, and the strike ended.
Where Kellanova Operates
Kellanova has factories and offices all over the world. Some of their main locations include:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- India
- Ireland (European Headquarters)
- Japan
- Mexico
- United Kingdom (including the big Trafford Park factory)
- United States (including Battle Creek, Michigan, where it all started)
Images for kids
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Advertisement, 1910s
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1917 advertisement for Krumbles
