Pop-Tarts facts for kids
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Frosted Strawberry flavor Pop-Tarts.
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| Product type | Toaster pastry |
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| Owner | Kellanova |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | September 14, 1964 |
| Related brands | Pop-Tart Bites, Pop-Tart Crisps, Pop-Tart Cereal |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Kellogg's (1964–2023) |
| Tagline | "Crazy Good!" |
Pop-Tarts are a popular American snack. They are a type of toaster pastry made by Kellanova, a company that used to be called Kellogg's. Pop-Tarts have been around since 1964.
Each Pop-Tart has a sweet filling tucked inside two thin layers of pastry. Most kinds also have frosting on top. Even though they are already cooked, many people like to warm them in a toaster or microwave oven.
Pop-Tarts are usually sold in pairs inside special packages. You don't need to keep them in the fridge. They are often eaten for breakfast, but they also make a great sweet snack food.
Pop-Tarts are Kellanova's most popular brand in the United States. Millions of them are sold every year. You can find them mainly in the United States, but also in Canada and the United Kingdom.
There are many different Pop-Tart flavors. Some are always available, while others are special "limited-edition" flavors that only appear for a short time.
Contents
The Story of Pop-Tarts
In the early 1960s, a company called Post was Kellogg's main competitor. Post found a way to keep food fresh by drying it and sealing it in foil. They first used this for dog food. Then, they decided to make a new breakfast pastry that could be heated in a toaster.
Post announced their new product, called "Country Squares", in 1964. They told the public about it several months before it was ready to sell.
Because Post revealed their idea early, Kellogg's quickly worked to create their own version. They hired a person named Bill Post to help. In just four months, Kellogg's made their own breakfast pastry.
It was first called "Fruit Scones." But soon, the name was changed to "Pop-Tarts." This name was a fun play on the popular Pop Art movement of that time.
The product became incredibly popular. The first Pop-Tarts shipment sold out in just two weeks! Kellogg's even had to put out advertisements saying sorry for the empty shelves. This only made people want them even more.
The first Pop-Tarts came in four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple currant. Apple currant was soon renamed apple-berry. When they first came out in 1964, Pop-Tarts did not have frosting.
Kellogg's soon created a frosting that could stay on the pastry even when toasted. The first frosted Pop-Tarts were released in 1967. Sprinkles were added to some flavors in 1968.
Today, there are more than 24 regular Pop-Tart flavors. These include popular ones like hot fudge sundae, s'mores, raspberry, and grape.
Pop-Tarts were also introduced to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s with a lot of advertising. You can find flavors like Chocotastic and Strawberry Sensation in most big UK supermarkets.
In 2001, the United States military dropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts in Afghanistan during the start of the conflict.
A temporary store called Pop-Tarts World opened in Times Square in New York City on August 10, 2010. It had Pop-Tarts souvenirs, a place to make T-shirts, and a Pop-Tarts World Cafe. The store closed on December 31, 2010.
By 2014, Pop-Tarts sales had grown for 32 years in a row. In 2023, Pop-Tarts became a product of Kellanova. This happened after Kellogg's separated its breakfast cereal business into a new company. Pop-Tarts sales kept growing, reaching over $985 million in 2023.
Pop-Tart Flavors and Types
Kellanova usually makes between 20 and 30 flavors at any time. They are always trying new flavors to see what people like.
Regular Flavors
Some Pop-Tart flavors have been around for over 50 years. These include frosted strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon. Kellanova also regularly adds new flavors and stops making ones that don't sell well. For example, in 2020, they introduced three new Pretzel flavors.
Seasonal Flavors
Kellanova makes some flavors for a short time each year. These flavors match different seasons or holidays. For instance, Pumpkin Pie has been released every Fall since 2011. Red White and Blueberry has come back every summer since 2012.
Limited Edition Flavors
From 2005 to 2021, Kellogg's made special "Limited Edition" flavors. Each of these was sold for only about six months. They sometimes worked with other food brands like Dunkin' Donuts, Jolly Rancher, and A&W Root Beer. They also made Pop-Tarts with flavors from other Kellogg's brands, like Froot Loops and Eggo.
Sometimes, a limited flavor sold so well that Kellogg's kept making it longer or made it a regular flavor. Red Velvet was first a limited flavor in 2013. It sold so well that it was made until 2017. It came back as a regular flavor in 2021 but was stopped again the next year.
In the summer of 2021, a limited flavor called "Mister-E" was stopped soon after its two-month advertising push. Kellogg's ended the flavor after many complaints. It was later confirmed to be "Everything Bagel" flavor.
Pop-Tarts Around the World
Fewer flavors are available outside the United States. This is because some countries have different laws about food dyes or ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.
Only three flavors are available in Europe:
- Frosted Apple Blast
- Frosted Chocotastic
- Frosted Strawberry Sensation
Other Pop-Tart Products
Over the years, Kellogg's has tried different products related to Pop-Tarts.
- Danish Go-Rounds were an oval-shaped pastry with fruit filling. Kellogg's made them from 1968 to 1972. They were later called Danish Rings.
- Presto Pizza was a pizza-flavored toaster pastry. Kellogg's made it in 1971, but it was stopped less than a year later.
- Pastry Swirls came out in the mid-1990s. They were similar to Pillsbury's Toaster Strudels. Pastry Swirls were bigger and thicker than regular Pop-Tarts and had less icing. Flavors included Cherry Cheese Danish and Cinnamon Cream. They did not sell well and were stopped in 2001.
- Snak-Stix were a portable version that could be broken apart. They were meant as an after-school snack for kids and came out in 1999. Kellogg's promoted them with the American Idol TV show. But they did not sell well and were stopped a year later.
- Go-Tarts were another try at a snack-sized product, released in 2006. These were thicker, narrow, and wrapped individually. Go-Tarts were stopped in 2008.
- Mini Crisps were introduced in 2011. They were bite-sized, cracker-like pastries with no filling. They were sold in small pouches but were stopped after poor sales. They came back in a larger size in 2018 as Pop Tart Crisps. The newer version is a bigger, crispy pastry bar with filling and frosting.
- Pop-Tarts Pastry Bites are a smaller, bite-sized version sold in pouches. They first came out in 1994 as Pop-Tarts Bites but were stopped the next year. Kellogg's brought them back in 2018 in Frosted Strawberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavors. More flavors were added later.
- Pop Tarts Cereal was first made in 1994 and sold until the early 2000s. Kellogg's brought it back in 2019 with strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon flavors.
- Crunchy Poppers were introduced in early 2024. They are bite-sized, crunchy, tubular pastries with filling and frosting. They are smaller than Pop-Tarts Bites and are sold in pouches of 10.
Pop-Tarts Advertising
In the 1970s, Pop-Tarts advertising became more lively with a talking toaster named Milton. An actor named William Schallert was the voice of Milton in TV and radio ads. Milton became very popular, and his image was used on many products like mugs, plates, and even board games.
In 2004, Pop-Tarts started a new advertising campaign called "Crazy Good." These ads often featured a singing lizard and a group of "crazy-good kids." The kids would often scare the Pop-Tarts, causing them to be eaten or chased away. The ads used a unique animation style and often had funny, unexpected moments.
In 2006, a group called the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) suggested that Kellogg's change its packaging. This was because of a customer complaint about the phrase "made with real fruit." Kellogg's agreed to change the packages. They also promised to consider CARU's advice for future ads aimed at children.
In 2023, Kellanova began sponsoring the Pop-Tarts Bowl. This is a college football game played in Orlando, Florida. In 2023, a mascot of the strawberry Pop-Tart became very popular online. The mascot went into a giant toaster and was "eaten" by the winning team, Kansas State Wildcats. This created many funny memes on the internet.
In 2024, the Pop-Tarts Bowl let fans vote for the main mascot from three flavors: Cinnamon Roll, Hot Fudge Sundae, and Wild Berry. After the Iowa State Cyclones won against the Miami Hurricanes, the MVP chose Cinnamon Roll to be toasted and eaten.
The Pop-Tarts name is a registered trademark.
Product Recalls
Pop-Tarts have sometimes been recalled (taken back from stores). This happens when a mistake in labeling could cause serious allergic reactions.
- On August 4, 1995, it was announced that 94,500 boxes of Frosted Strawberry pastries actually contained the Chocolate Fudge flavor.
- In 2002, Kellogg warned the public that egg was an unlisted ingredient in its Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.
- In 2006, they warned that some Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts had milk as an unlisted ingredient.
See also
In Spanish: Pop-tarts para niños
