Kellogg centers on organic ingredients with multiple product launches

By Gill Hyslop

- Last updated on GMT

Kellogg's Despicable Me cereal is a brown sugar vanilla flavor breakfast treat featuring large pieces of marshmallows that represent the Minions and their love of bananas. Pic: ©iStock/BAphotography/Kellogg Company
Kellogg's Despicable Me cereal is a brown sugar vanilla flavor breakfast treat featuring large pieces of marshmallows that represent the Minions and their love of bananas. Pic: ©iStock/BAphotography/Kellogg Company

Related tags Kellogg company Kellogg

After intensive R&D, Kellogg Company is launching more than 50 new products across its cereal, snacks and frozen food lines.

The latest offerings range from breakfast items like Special K Nourish granola and Pop-Tarts coffee-inspired toaster pastries, to snacks like Cheez-it Duoz Bacon & Cheddar crackers and Pringles LOUD veggie and grain crisps.

Health at heart

Health is definitely high on the agenda for the manufacturing giant.

Aligned with its effort to remove artificial colors and flavors across its branded cereals and snack bars, as well as the Eggo frozen food range, by the end of 2018, many of the new products are reported to contain only organic flavors and colors, and no preservatives.

The company is also touting its new Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch Apple Strawberry cereal as “a heart-healthy bran”.

Character building

Kellogg’s Disney Princess cereal, Special K Nourish Bites, Nutri-Grain Bakery Delight crumb cakes and the entire lineup of Eggo frozen breakfast products are made with flavors and colors from natural sources.

According to Paul Norman, president of Kellogg North America, consumers are looking for food that is nutritious, but also exciting.

"We know that people are looking for a variety of things when they choose food. They want food that is fun, wholesome and nutritious, convenient and, of course, delicious,"​ he said.

The new products will be widely available nationwide this month.

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch Apple Strawberry cereal (low in saturated fat and cholesterol)

Kellogg’s Special K Nourish granola (two flavour variants: Dark Chocolate Coconut; and Very Berry)

Kellogg’s Cinnamon Frosted Flakes cereal (more than 100 recipes were considered before Kellogg’s settled on the final combination)

Pop-Tarts New Frosted Chocolate Mocha and Frosted Vanilla Latte (Kellogg’s teamed up with Dunkin’ Donuts to develop these new creations)

Kellogg’s Despicable Me cereal (brown sugar vanilla flavored with large pieces of marshmallow)

Kellogg’s Disney Princess cereal (four flavour variants; new packaging; and large piece format)

Kellogg’s Disney Moana cereal (swirl-shaped pieces)

Keebler Cookie cereal (contains chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough pieces)

Pringles LOUD (Super Cheesy Italian, Spicy Queso, Salsa Fiesta Mighty Margherita and Fiery Chili Lime)

Town House Crackers and Hummus (portable, single-serving option; no refrigeration needed)

Special K Nourish Bites (free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives)

Special K Protein Bites (Peanut Butter Chocolate; and Caramel Nut)

Nutri-Grain Bakery Delights (8g of whole grain, no artificial flavors, preservatives or colors)

Special KI Nourish bars (Caramel Almond Sea Salt; and Chocolate Coconut Cashew)

Cheez-It Duoz crackers (Cheddar & bacon; Jalapeño & cheddar jack)

Keebler Club Bites sandwich crackers (free from high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors)

Eggo frozen waffle and breakfast sandwiches

MorningStar Farms frozen Veggie Bowls (Chik’n Pot Pie; Moroccan Medley; Chik’n Tikka Masala; Italian Veggie Bake; Japanese Soba Noodles)

Breakfast cereal battlefield

With 2015 sales of $13.5bn and more than 1,600 products in it’s stable, Kellogg is the world's leading cereal company; second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks; and a leading North American frozen foods company.

However, financial experts have noted that the company has been struggling to boost sales over the past two years, mainly because of the weakening demand for breakfast cereals due to competitive pressure from alternatives like yogurt, eggs, bread and peanut butter.

The US snacks business has also been struggling to fight weak volumes since 2013, reported Zacks Investments Research.

Business predicted to bloom

But, business could be looking up for Kellogg with this massive launch, it claimed.

While Kellogg stock has seen only a 0.3% growth over the past year (compared with the 8.1% by the broader food market), American multinational investment banking and financial services corporation Citi has placed the giant on its top picks list this week.

Zacks also reported the company’s four-year restructuring program, Project K, will boost growth through the elimination of excess capacity and improved productivity.

According to the investment research company, Project K generated savings of around $180m in 2015 and is likely to rake in approximately $100m of incremental savings in the to-be-reported 2016 results.

Annual cost savings from Project K are forecast to be approximately $425-$475m by 2018, it said.

Related news

Show more

1 comment

Owner

Posted by Linda,

You say Organic but it can never be Organic as long as you have NATURAL FLAVOR, aka; MSG and Artificial Flavor and BTH/ BHT in them of which ALL cause CANCER!! Nobody wants to eat your crap laced cancer causing cheap ingredient foods. Most of your ingredients probably come from the US mass produced GMO wheat and corn or from China where they don't know what Organic is and have NO quality control in any factory; anything goes!

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars