Kellogg's Drops Rice From Rice Krispies in UK Over Weather

Kellogg's has stopped using rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK, blaming "changing weather conditions" that have disrupted supplies of the core ingredient. Corn flour and rice flour now replace whole rice grains in the two cereals, a Kellogg's spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

The company said the updated recipes have been "carefully assessed" and that it took customer feedback into consideration. That framing deserves scrutiny: the switch was not a consumer-driven reformulation but a supply-side response. Dry weather in key rice-producing countries across Asia has cut harvests and pushed prices up, leaving the cereal maker short of suitable grain.

The change carries a direct consequence for shoppers with allergies. Boxes of the reformulated cereals will now carry a "contains wheat gluten" warning, because corn flour introduces wheat into a product that previously centered on rice. Consumers who chose Rice Krispies partly because it was wheat-free will need to read labels again.

What is Kellogg's saying about the change?

The company framed the move as a quality decision. The new recipes 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 our cereals," a Kellogg's spokesperson told the BBC.

The spokesperson added: "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." The remark acknowledges the risk: texture and taste changes in iconic products routinely trigger consumer backlash, and Rice Krispies has been on British breakfast tables for generations.

Kellogg's also stressed that the cereals will continue to meet UK food standards on fat, salt and sugar levels. The products contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners, and nutritional content per bowl — including fibre, Vitamin D and iron — stays the same, the spokesperson said. The company did not say how long the reformulation will remain in place, an open question that matters for wheat-sensitive households.

Are US and Canadian products affected?

No. Rice Krispies sold 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. The split reflects the corporate structure created in 2023, when the Kellogg Company separated into two firms.

• Kellanova, the larger of the two, sells snacks, cereals, noodles and brands such as Eggo, Pringles and Pop-Tarts globally. It is now owned by Mars, the confectionery and pet food giant.
• WK Kellogg's operates in North America and has been taken over by Italian chocolate maker Ferrero.

The UK recipe change falls under Kellanova's global portfolio, which explains why the North American business could promise continuity for its own products.

Why is rice supply under pressure?

Most of the world's rice comes from Asia, and much of the region has been hit by droughts, floods and heatwaves linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. South East Asia alone produces more than a quarter of the world's rice, and forecasters expect the weather event to severely hit crop production there in particular.

The World Meteorological Agency expects the record-breaking El Niño to last until at least 2027. That timeline suggests the pressures driving Kellogg's reformulation are not a one-season anomaly. In plain terms: if the weather pattern persists as forecast, UK shoppers should expect more recipe changes across grain-based staples, not fewer — and the wheat-gluten warnings on cereal boxes may become a familiar sight.