WK Kellogg Co debuts new cereal brand in better-for-you push

Dive Brief:

• WK Kellogg Co is ringing in 2024 with a new cereal brand, Eat Your Mouth Off. The vegan offering is the cereal giant’s first new product launch since spinning off into its own business last fall.
• The “puff” cereal aimed at millennials and Gen Z comes in two flavors, Fruity and Chocolate. Each contains 22 grams of protein and zero grams of sugar per bowl.
• The launch comes as WK Kellogg Co works to establish itself as its own business by diversifying its portfolio and adapting to a greater interest in health foods as consumer tastes shift.

Dive Insight:

An array of nutrition and industry experts believe cereal is in long term decline, with a growing number of consumers citing its high sugar content and high processing as negatives. Leaders in the category are working to maintain its status as a premier breakfast option by rolling out new offerings aimed at health-conscious consumers.

As a newly spun off company following its launch as a fully-cereal business last year, WK Kellogg Co is aiming to redefine its role in the breakfast space as one that provides nutritious offerings.

In a statement, WK Kellogg Co’s senior marketing director Sadie Garcia said the new brand aimed to “deconstruct” traditional cereals and create a new alternative.

“Crafted specifically for Zillennials in pursuit of a brand that mirrors their unique personalities, our latest creation is an unfiltered expression of the no-nonsense ethos that we, as a brand, represent,” Garcia said.

The company’s CEO Gary Pilnick told Food Dive in October the company has also quietly lowered the sugar content of two of its most popular cereals, Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops, by double-digits in recent years.

Other leading companies in the ready-to-eat cereal space are taking advantage of rising consumer demand for breakfast offerings that contain healthier attributes and unique ingredients.

Post Holdings debuted a new offering last year aimed at helping consumers fulfill late-night cravings while preparing them for a solid night’s sleep. Its Sweet Dreams cereal — available in Honey Moonglow and Blueberry Midnight — contains a “nighttime herbal blend” and ingredients including zinc, folic acid and B vitamins, which the company claims melatonin production ahead of sleeping.

Magic Spoon, which sells cereals with 13 grams of protein per serving in a variety of flavors, expanded its reach to 6,800 stores last year, including Target.