It was not long ago that Americans were being told not to eat Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal after a multi-state Salmonella outbreak was linked to the cereal. Now, less than a year later, the brand has resurfaced by unveiling a trio of new breakfast foods. Strawberry Krispies, Honey Nut Frosted Flakes and HI! Happy Inside round out the newest additions to the Kellogg’s lineup.
Hi! Happy Inside was the first of three to be introduced on November 14, 2018. It combines fiber, prebiotics and probiotics with premium ingredients for full digestive health, according to the company.
“HI! Happy Inside is a delicious cereal with three powerful ingredients to support digestive wellness.” said Aleta Chase, Marketing Director for HI! Happy Inside. “This new cereal provides a proactive real food solution to people who want to incorporate more prebiotics and probiotics into their diet.”
The wellness cereal was developed at WK Kellogg Institute for Food & Nutrition Research, a global community of food researchers, designers, and makers at Kellogg Company.
“Maintaining a healthy digestive system is essential to overall wellbeing and everyday life,” said Regan Jones, RD. “Many registered dietitians know that probiotics alone aren’t enough and the 3-in-1 combination of prebiotic, probiotics and fiber through real foods such as HI! Happy Inside is one thing you can do daily to help support your overall health.”
The next cereal was released by Kellogg’s on December 4, 2018 and is described as a sweet twist on the classic Rice Krispies. Strawberry Krispies has become the first new flavor the Rice Krispies brand has introduced in more than ten years.
“Our fans are explorers who constantly seek new varieties, flavors and possibilities,” said Chris Stolsky, Associate Director of Marketing for Rice Krispies. “We are introducing Strawberry Krispies to give them just that, a new cereal with endless moments of goodness packed in each bite.”
Not stopping there, a week later the company introduced Honey Nut Frosted Flakes. According to Kellogg’s more than 50 flavor combinations were tested in order to create the new cereal.
“Honey Nut Frosted Flakes was a tough nut to crack. We knew our fans would be excited for this flavor and we’re too,” said Brant Wheaton, Senior Brand Manager for Frosted Flakes. “It was such a fun challenge to combine the two well-known flavors of honey-nut and Frosted Flakes.”
The launch of these products comes after an estimated 11 million boxes of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal were pulled from stores in June 2018 due to potential Salmonella contamination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a total of 135 people across 36 states were infected by that outbreak strain, with 34 people hospitalized.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection at a third-party manufacturer where the cereal was being produced which resulted in a warning letter identifying specific problems at the facility.
“The failure of your sanitation controls to significantly minimize or prevent the environmental hazard of Salmonella is reflected in three FDA environmental samples that were positive for the same strain of Salmonella,” the letter reads.
In November, Honey Smacks cereal was returned to store shelves with Kellogg’s announcing it would start selling the cereal again in limited quantities using a new recipe. The company also moved production to a company-owned facility that has produced Honey Smacks for decades.
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