Frosted Mini-Wheats

Last updated

Frosted Mini-Wheats
Frosted Mini-Wheats logo.svg
Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats - Whole Grain Cereal, with milk.jpg
Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats – Whole Grain Cereal, with milk
Product typeBreakfast cereal
Owner WK Kellogg Co
Country United States
Introduced1969;55 years ago (1969)
Related brands Frosted Flakes
Previous owners Kellogg's (1969–2023)
Tagline"Keeps them full. Keeps them focused"
Website frostedminiwheats.com

Frosted Mini-Wheats (also known as Frosted Wheats and Mini Max in the United Kingdom, Mini-Wheats! in Canada, and Toppas in certain European countries; also referred as "Mini-Wheats" in the US) is a breakfast cereal manufactured by WK Kellogg Co (formerly Kellogg's) consisting of shredded wheat cereal pieces and frosting.

Contents

History

Kelloggs introduced Frosted Mini-Wheats in the United States in 1969 as a large size portion that was available in regular and brown sugar/cinnamon flavor, later followed by a bite-size portion introduced in 1980. The original large size Mini-Wheats was renamed "Big Bite" by 2001 and discontinued entirely in 2015. In 1999, Kellogg's went into the line by introducing a non-frosted Mini-Wheats variety that contained raisin filling, replacing Raisin Squares. It was discontinued in two years. Frosted Wheats were available from the 1980s until the early 1990s in the United Kingdom under the Toppas name. They subsequently disappeared from shop shelves but were reissued several years later under the Frosted Wheats brand, similar to that used elsewhere in the world. The new cereal uses far smaller pieces of frosted wheat parcel than the original Toppas and contains beef gelatin. Initially Kellogg's Mini-Wheats were available without the sugar frosting and with raisins or blueberries in the center. The Mini-Wheats recipe when produced in Canada or the United States was slightly different. Since January 2008, Canadian-produced (plant in Belleville, Ontario) Mini-Wheats are available in Canada and are imported into the US.

Advertising

United States

Frosted Mini-Wheats are marketed in several ways. There was a short stint of television advertisements featuring a Frosted Mini-Wheat biscuit with "split personalities;" the sweet (frosted) side and wheat (shredded grain) side, who argued over who was more popular. When the new MyPyramid debuted, launching the whole grain craze, Frosted Mini Wheats enjoyed another short-lived advertising stint as a fiber-conscious cereal. These advertisements involved a man walking around, asking "Have you had your fiber today?", then handing unsuspecting, confused people a bowl of the cereal. However, these ads have been discontinued. Meanwhile, in the early/mid-1990s, several ads aired showcasing conflict between children raving about the frosting and adults raving about the whole grain wheat. The best-known of these, "The Kid in You" ads, feature adults turning into children and kids turning into adults (actress Marcia Wallace appears in one of those "Kid in Us" spots, and one used the famous line from When Harry Met Sally... , "I'll have what she's having", which was said by an elderly woman sitting next to a young businesswoman who turned into a 13-year-old girl in front of her).

Current advertising involves Frosted Mini-Wheats helping children in various childhood situations. In one, a girl in a spelling bee retracts a letter after speaking it and passes, despite the fact that it is against the rules in an actual Spelling Bee competition. Another has the Mini-Wheat helping a girl keep time to a dance in a school play. It promotes eating breakfast in general. The tagline says, "Keeps 'em [your kids] full, and keeps 'em focused." The Federal Trade Commission found fault with Kellogg's claims that Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal improved kids' attentiveness by nearly 20%. The consumer protection agency said that Kellogg's had misrepresented a study and violated federal law. [1] [2]

In 2009, Kelloggs introduced a "Little Bites" spinoff of the Mini-Wheats brand. This version had smaller squares and came in three flavors: Original, Chocolate, and Honey Nut. Eventually, the Honey Nut flavor was taken off of shelves and replaced with Cinnamon Roll, which was also short-lived.

In 2011, Kelloggs introduced Frosted Mini-Wheats with Fruit in the Middle, which features strawberries and blueberries in the center. These are similar to the original Strawberry Mini-Wheats that Kellogg's sold in the 1990s which contained strawberry filling in the middle, as well as Raisin Squares and its successor Mini-Wheats Raisin, and Fruit Wheats, a variant of Nabisco Shredded Wheat made in the 1980s.

Canada

An ad for Mini-Wheats that aired in Canada in the early-1990s featured an animated "Mr. Mini-Wheat" (voiced by John Stocker) about to go on a blind date. After experiencing some pre-date anxiety, a disembodied voice convinces Mr. Mini-Wheat that between his wholesome wheatiness and his frosted side, he has much to offer. Now quite confident, Mr. Mini-Wheat sets off for his date, proclaiming that "She'll be my love slave forever!". This line was quickly changed to "She'll be my true love forever!" for later airings.

More recently, an advertisement for Vanilla flavored Mini-Wheats featured an animated Mr. Mini-Wheat singing and dancing to a tune based on "Agadoo" by Black Lace. The success of the commercial prompted several more in this series:

Varieties

Bite Size Frosted Strawberry Delight Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats.PNG
Bite Size Frosted Strawberry Delight

Frosted Mini-Wheats currently come in the following varieties:

The following varieties have been discontinued:

Ingredients

Frosted Mini-Wheats contains whole grain wheat, sugar and gelatin. Since Frosted Mini-Wheats contains gelatin, it is not vegetarian (gelatin is made from collagen which comes from animal bones and fat). By 2012, brown rice sugar was added to the list of ingredients.

Recall

There was a voluntary recall of certain Frosted Mini-Wheats products in October 2012 due to possible presence of metal fragments from a faulty Kellogg's manufacturing plant. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frosted Flakes</span> WK Kellogg Co brand of sugar-coated corn flakes

Frosted Flakes or Frosties is a breakfast cereal, produced by WK Kellogg Co for the United States, Canada, and Caribbean markets and by Kellanova for the rest of the world, and consisting of sugar-coated corn flakes. It was introduced in the United States, in 1952, as "Sugar Frosted Flakes". The word "sugar" was dropped from the name in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutri-Grain</span> Breakfast cereal brand

Nutri-Grain is a brand of breakfast cereal and breakfast bar made by Kellanova since 1976. In Australia and New Zealand Nutri-Grain is a breakfast cereal made from corn, oats, and wheat. The pieces are shaped like bricks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellogg's</span> American multinational food company

Kellanova, formerly known as the Kellogg Company and commonly known as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US. Kellanova produces and markets convenience foods and snack foods, including crackers and toaster pastries, cereal, and markets their products by several well-known brands including the Kellogg's brand itself, Rice Krispies Treats, Pringles, Eggo, and Cheez-It, along with cereal internationally such as Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosties and Coco Pops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop-Tarts</span> Brand of toaster pastries

Pop-Tarts is an American brand of toaster pastries produced and distributed by Kellanova since 1964, consisting of a sweet filling sealed inside two layers of thin, rectangular pastry crust. Most varieties are also frosted. Although sold precooked, they are designed to be warmed inside a toaster or microwave oven. They are usually sold in pairs inside Mylar packages and do not require refrigeration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice Krispies</span> Breakfast cereal made by WK Kellogg Co and Kellanova

Rice Krispies is a breakfast cereal produced by WK Kellogg Co for the United States, Canadian, and Caribbean markets and by Kellanova for the rest of the world. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mentos</span> Brand of mints

Mentos are a brand of packaged scotch mints or mint-flavored candies sold in many stores and vending machines. First produced in 1932, they are currently sold in more than 130 countries worldwide by the Italian-Dutch corporation Perfetti Van Melle. The mints are small oblate spheroids, with a slightly hard exterior and a soft, chewy interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinnamon Toast Crunch</span> General Mills breakfast cereal

Cinnamon Toast Crunch (CTC), known as Croque-Cannelle in French Canada and Curiously Cinnamon in the UK, and as a variant called Cini Minis in other European and Latin American countries, is a brand of breakfast cereal produced by General Mills and Nestlé. First produced in 1984, the cereal aims to provide the taste of cinnamon toast in a crunch cereal format. The cereal consists of small squares or rectangles of wheat and rice covered with cinnamon and sugar. The cereal is puffed and when immersed in milk, it makes a "snap" noise, similar to Rice Krispies. In most European countries and North America, the product is sold in boxes, but in Poland, Slovakia and Russia the cereal is sold in bags. The product was originally marketed outside Europe with the mascot of a jolly baker named Wendell. Wendell was replaced as a mascot by the "Crazy Squares", sentient Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares that often eat each other in commercials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special K</span> WK Kellogg Co brand of cereal

Special K is an American brand of breakfast cereal and meal bars originally manufactured by Kellogg's. The cereal was introduced to the United States in 1955. It is made primarily from grains such as lightly toasted rice, wheat and barley. Special K used to be marketed primarily as a low-fat cereal that can be eaten to help one lose weight. Following the 2023 spinoff of Kellogg's North American cereal division, the cereal is manufactured by WK Kellogg Co for the United States, Canada, and Caribbean markets. The former Kellogg's, renamed Kellanova, continues to manufacture the cereal for the rest of the world and the meal bars for all markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerios</span> Breakfast cereal made by General Mills

Cheerios is a brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills in the United States and Canada, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a solid torus. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Cheerios is marketed by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand; in Australia and New Zealand, Cheerios is sold as an Uncle Tobys product. It was first manufactured in 1941 as CheeriOats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerds (candy)</span> American confection launched in 1983

Nerds is an American candy launched in 1983 by the Sunmark Corporation under the brand name Willy Wonka Candy Company. Nerds are now made by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero Group. but is still distributed internationally by Nestlé. With their anthropomorphic covers, Nerds usually contain two flavors per box, each flavor having a separate compartment and opening.

Post Consumer Brands is an American consumer packaged goods food manufacturer headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chex</span> General Mills breakfast cereal

Chex is an American brand of breakfast cereal currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally known as Shredded Ralston, first produced in 1936 and owned by Ralston Purina of St. Louis, Missouri, then later renamed Chex in 1950. The Chex brand went with corporate spinoff Ralcorp in 1994 and was then sold to General Mills in 1997. Rival cereal company Kellogg's has the rights to the Chex brand in South Korea and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shredded wheat</span> Breakfast cereal made from whole wheat

Shredded wheat is a breakfast cereal made from whole wheat formed into pillow-shaped biscuits. It is commonly available in three sizes: original, bite-sized and miniature. Both smaller sizes are available in a frosted variety, which has one side coated with sugar and usually gelatin. Some manufacturers have produced "filled" versions of the bite-size cereal containing a raisin at the center, or apricot, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry or golden syrup filling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey Bunches of Oats</span> Breakfast cereal made by Post

Honey Bunches of Oats is a breakfast cereal owned by Post Holdings and produced by its subsidiary Post Consumer Brands. Created by lifelong Post employee Vernon J. Herzing by mixing several of Post's cereals together and having his daughter taste them, Honey Bunches of Oats was introduced to markets in 1989 after three years of development. The cereal is made up of three kinds of flakes and oat clusters baked with a hint of honey. It is marketed as a source of whole grain. Other varieties have almonds or fruits added into the mix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggo Cereal</span> Breakfast cereal made by WK Kellogg Co

Eggo Cereal is a multigrain breakfast cereal introduced in 2006 and reintroduced in 2019. It is manufactured by WK Kellogg Co, a spin-out of Kellogg's. It resembles Eggo waffles, a brand of frozen waffles produced by Kellanova and shares much of the same branding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunkaroos</span> American cookie snack

Dunkaroos are a snack food from Betty Crocker, first launched in 1990. It consists of a snack-sized package containing cookies and frosting; as the name implies, the cookies are meant to be dunked into the frosting before eating. Individual snack packages contain about ten small cookies and one cubic inch of frosting. The cookies are made in a variety of shapes, including a circle with an uppercase "D" in the center, feet, the mascot in different poses, and a hot air balloon.

Mini Swirlz was a brand of frosted cereal produced by the Kellogg Company. The first flavor, Cinnamon Bun, was introduced in 2005, and was successful enough that two temporary flavors followed, Fudge Ripple and Peanut Butter. The cereal was made mainly with sweetened cornmeal, whole oat grain, and whole wheat grain, with a flavored topping that corresponds to the variety. The pieces in each version are shaped to resemble cinnamon buns. In 2009 Mini Swirlz was discontinued by Kellogg's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pie in American cuisine</span> History and cultural significance of pies in American cuisine

Pie in American cuisine has roots in English cuisine and has evolved over centuries to adapt to American cultural tastes and ingredients. The creation of flaky pie crust shortened with lard is credited to American innovation.

References

  1. Carey, Susan. Snap, Crackle, Slap: FTC Objects to Kellogg's Rice Krispies Health Claim. The Wall Street Journal. June 4, 2010.
  2. UPDATE 2-Kellogg changes ads for Frosted Mini-Wheats - FTC. Reuters. April 21, 2009.
  3. MINI-WHEATS Products Page. Archived September 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Kellogg's Canada. April 11, 2012
  4. "Voluntary Recall of Select Packages of Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size". FDA. Retrieved April 29, 2014.