No more rice grains in Kellogg's Rice Krispies due to changing weather

Key points

• Kellogg's has replaced rice grains with corn flour and rice flour in its UK Rice Krispies recipe.
• The company says dry weather in key Asian rice-producing countries has reduced harvests and raised prices.
• US and Canadian Rice Krispies will keep real rice and unchanged recipes, a North American spokesperson said.

Kellogg's has changed the recipe for its Rice Krispies cereal in the UK, replacing rice grains with corn flour and rice flour. A Kellogg's spokesperson said on Tuesday that the updated recipes have been carefully assessed and that customer feedback was taken into account.

The company said the change is a response to dry weather in key rice-producing countries in Asia, which has reduced harvests and driven up prices. The new recipes mean cereal packaging will now carry a warning that the product contains wheat gluten.

Why the recipe changed

A Kellogg's spokesperson told the BBC the change will help maintain consistent quality at a time when changing weather conditions are affecting the quality and availability of some of the rice and grains used in the company's cereals. The spokesperson said the firm appreciates that even small changes to a much-loved product can feel noticeable.

Most of the world's rice comes from Asia, where droughts, floods and heatwaves linked to El Niño have hit many areas. The World Meteorological Agency expects the record-breaking El Niño to last until at least 2027.

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.

— Kellogg's spokesperson

What stays the same

Kellogg's said Rice Krispies and Coco Pops will continue to meet UK food standards on fat, salt and sugar. The cereals also contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners, and the spokesperson said nutritional benefits such as fibre, Vitamin D and iron are unchanged.

Rice Krispies products in the US and Canada will continue to be made with real rice, and no recipe changes are expected there, a spokesperson for Kellogg's North American business told the BBC.