Rice Krispies: History, Trivia & Brands

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are few cereals as iconic as Rice Krispies. It can be used to make delicious Rice Krispy treats or eaten by itself for a fun dining experience. This is one of the few cereals that is sold nearly everywhere in the world, and many kids remember well their first bowl of Rice Krispies cereal. There are few things that stand out, like a cereal that pops and crackles as you eat it.

Rice Krispies are still one of the most popular cereals around, and if you have never tried them, you need to get on that! You will love this fun cereal, and it might even replace your daily breakfast cereal as soon as you try it.

History

Kellogg’s has been synonymous with cereal ever since it opened its doors, and this is probably one of the most famous products that the company makes. Sitting right alongside Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies have delighted generations of people who love cereal. The Kellogg’s brand is also able to market to the entire world, which is unusual for a company in this market.

Rice Krispies cereal is known as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand but is sold under the Rice Krispies name in many other markets. They are called Rice Pops by generic brands and Crispy Rice by others. These are knock-offs, however, and are not the original product, nor are they made by Kellogg’s.

This cereal was first made in 1927 and then released to the public in 1928. Rice Krispies is made of crisped rice which is made by combining rice with sugar paste. The resulting rice mix that is then cooked creates “berries” that are thin and toasted and which are hollow. This unique design is what makes the cereal snap, crackle, and pop as it is eaten.

When milk is added to the cereal, it starts to snap and pop, which is where the “snap, crackle, and pop” slogan for the cereal comes from. This reaction happens due to the air that is trapped in each of the cereal “berries”. These air pockets release their air when the cereal changes form with the addition of moisture. The snapping and crackling can actually be quite loud when you fill up a big bowl with this cereal and then add milk. Some people also really enjoy the popping sensation in their mouth when they eat this product.

Rice Krispies have been advertised for years with the help of their mascots, the Rice Krispy elves. These cartoon elves are fittingly named Snap, Crackle, and Pop. In the early 60s, there was even a commercial with the elves that included a sone that was recorded with The Rolling Stones. This was used for a television commercial, and it indicates how much the brand had already found its footing in pop culture.

Ads using the elves always mention the noise that the cereal made, and early ad campaigns called the product “the talking cereal”. Kids love things like this, and this gimmick that is part of the formulation process that makes the cereal has made Rice Krispies one of the most popular cereals with children for years. The elves were also really fun and silly, and kids loved them immediately as soon as they were added to marketing efforts for the brand.

There was actually also an elf that was known as Pow. He was included in just two commercials in the 1950s and was supposed to be a family friend. He was meant to highlight the nutritional “pow-er” of the cereal. He also wore a spacesuit, probably in an effort to connect the cereal to the obsession with the space race that was everywhere at this time.

The mascots for this cereal might be just as famous as the cereal itself. They have been present in the ad campaign efforts for the cereal since 1939. They have been used for movie shorts, comic strips, cartoons, and more. Before they were used to advertise the brand, Woody Woodpecker was actually the mascot of the cereal. These two cartoon characters are the two longest-lived cartoon characters ever to be used to advertise a cereal.

In other places, the elves have other names. They are called Pif, Paf, and Pof in Belgium, Knap, Knaetter, and Knak in South Africa, and Riks, Raks, and Roks in Finnish. In Sweden, they are Pim, Pum, and Pam, and in Spain, they are called Pim, Pum, and Pam. In Germany, they are known as Knisper, Knasper, and Knusper. These different names are interesting because they reflect the phonetics of different languages related to the sounds that the cereal is supposed to make. There might not be any other brand that offers this unique feature, and Rice Krispies is really unique among food products that this is part of the advertising planning for this breakfast item.

Logo

Ingredients:

From the Wikipedia entry for the cereal:

• 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)
• Vitamin D

The company states as well that the rice used for the US version of the cereal comes from rice that is grown in Louisiana and Arkansas.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	1 cup (29g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	5.4
Calories	110
Total Fat	0.6g	1%
Saturated Fat	0.1g	1%
Trans Fat	0g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.2g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	153mg	6%
Potassium	36mg	1%
Total Carbohydrates	25g	8%
Dietary Fiber	0.1g	0%
Sugars	2.9g
Protein	2g
Vitamin A		22%
Vitamin C		31%
Calcium		0.1%
Iron		49%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Health Claims Related to Rice Krispies

In 2010, Kellogg’s was found by the Federal Trade Commission to be making claims about health that could not be made by a company that sells food substances. These misleading health claims were being included on the boxes of Rice Krispies that were on shelves around the world. The claims stated that the cereal could help with your child’s immunity and that the cereal had been improved to include nutrients and antioxidants that would keep the family healthy.

The Kellog’s Company had also been cited for claims that were made on the Frosted Mini Wheats cereals that this cereal would improve children’s attentiveness by up to 20%. These claims had to be removed from all the cereal varieties that had false claims associated with them. This kind of incident is common with cereal companies, and Kellogg’s is not the only company that has done this to try and increase sales of their cereals.

Variations

There are actually various kinds of Rice Krispies cereal that you can try. These varieties are commonly sold all over the US and might also be offered in other markets as well.

• Cocoa Krispies – These are called Coco Pops in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, and Italy. This is the chocolate-flavored version in every market, regardless of the market.
• Rice Krispies with Vanilla flavoring – this variety is sold in Canada and South Africa only
• Chocolate and Vanilla Rice Krispies which is a cereal variety that combines both flavors and was first sold in 2007.
• Rice Krispies Treats Cereal which has bundled bunches of Rice Krispies that are held together with marshmallow coating
• Strawberry Pops, which are only sold in South Africa
• Kellogg’s Strawberry Krispies

There are other generic versions of Rice Krispies that are sold with both frosted and chocolate variants, which are produced by other companies. There are knock-offs that might not be as good as the original products.

Rice Krispy Treats were actually originally made by Mildred Day, who had originally been a taste tester for Kellogg’s. She made these treats for Camp Fire girls to sell, cooking for 16 hours a day to make the batches at the last moment. The treats were such a hit that the recipe started to be shared by Kellogg’s as well as other cooking experts.

Kellogg’s also now makes Rice Krispy Treats called Rice Krispy Squares. There are also some cereal bars and a multi-grain Rice Krispies cereal that can be found in some markets. This second kind of cereal is meant to be sold to those looking to improve their digestive health, and it includes a prebiotic for gut health.

There are also some discontinued products that some people might remember fondly:

• Frosted Rice Krispies
• Rice Krispies with dehydrated mini marshmallows, which were called Marshmallow Rice Krispies
• Rice Krispies With Strawberry flavoring
• Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies, which was extremely sweet
• Apple Cinnamon Rice Krispies
• Berry Rice Krispies
• Rice Krispies with honey
• Halloween versions of the cereal that were orange in color

Other Treats Related to Rice Krispies

There have been many other well-known recipes and treats that have been made over the years by people all over the world using Rice Krispies. The most well-known is probably the Rice Krispy Treat, but there are other common treats that people often make for parties and other events using this cereal.

In Australia, there is a homemade treat that is made in many households called chocolate crackle. This is made with Rice Bubbles and cocoa, and melted chocolate. There might even be dried fruit included in the snack. These homemade sweets made with Rice Krispies are almost as popular as the cereal itself.

Mascots

Pictures

Ads:

Some newer ads:

Ar collection of classic ads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAN0pYw59Pg

A black and white ad:

A commercial from the 1980s:

FAQ