Rice Krispies in Canada will continue to be made with real rice grains, Kellogg’s says, following news that the cereal in the U.K. will be reformulated without it due to “changing weather conditions.” A WK Kellogg Co. spokesperson told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday that the reported changes in the U.K. are unrelated to the company’s Canadian and U.S. business. “Our Rice Krispies cereals in the U.S. and Canada (e.g., Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies, Kellogg’s Frosted Krispies) are made with real rice and will continue to be,” the company said in an email. “There are no changes to their ingredients or recipes and consumers can continue to expect the same delicious Rice Krispies taste they know and love.” U.K.-based media outlets reported on Tuesday that Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the country are no longer being made with whole rice grains, but with rice flour and corn flour instead. The change comes as climate conditions have impacted the availability of rice, according to Kellanova/Mars Snacking, which operates Kellogg’s cereal brands outside Canada and the U.S. “We have updated the Rice Krispies and Coco Pops recipes, which are now made using corn flour and rice flour,” a company spokesperson said, according to media reports Tuesday. “We appreciate that even small changes to a much-loved product can feel noticeable and that’s why we have approached this with a lot of care and consideration.” Outlets reported that the spokesperson went on to say the “updated recipes have been carefully assessed for taste, appearance and texture, and we are continuing to listen closely to consumer feedback.” The U.K. recipe change also includes the addition of wheat gluten, which means the cereal may no longer be suitable for British shoppers with a wheat allergy or celiac disease. Previously, the cereal brands were labelled as “may contain gluten” in the U.K., but the change to include wheat as a main ingredient will require it to be highlighted in bold as an allergen on the list of ingredients.
