Rice Krispies (known as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand) is a breakfast cereal that was created by Clayton Rindlisbacher for the Kellogg company, and later marketed by Kellogg's in 1927 and released to the public in 1928. Rice Krispies are made of crisped rice (rice and sugar paste that is formed into rice shapes or "berries", cooked, dried and toasted), and expand forming very thin and hollowed out walls that are crunchy and crisp. When the cereal is subjected to a change in heat, the walls tend to collapse, creating the famous "Snap, crackle and pop" sounds.[1]
Rice Krispies cereal is widely known and popular with a long advertising history, with the elven cartoon characters Snap, Crackle, and Pop touting the brand. In 1963, The Rolling Stones recorded a short song for a Rice Krispies television advertisement.[2] Rice Krispies are also an important ingredient in Rice Krispies treats made by combining the cereal with melted marshmallows.
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Rice, sugar, salt, malt flavoring, iron, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), niacinamide, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin D.
Kellogg Company was found by the Federal Trade Commission to be making unsubstantiated and misleading claims in advertising on Rice Krispies boxes. Claims made by the company included "now helps support your child's immunity" and "has been improved to include antioxidants and nutrients that your family needs to help them stay healthy." The FTC had previously found fault with Kellogg's claims that Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal improved kids' attentiveness by nearly 20%.[3]
The names of other products within the Rice Krispies family vary depending on where they are sold:
Many generic versions of Rice Krispies (including frosted and chocolate variants) have been produced by other manufacturers under many different names.
Rice Krispies with dehydrated miniature marshmallows ("Marshmallow Rice Krispies", also known as Marshmallow Krispies, along with a tropical version, Fruity Marshmallow Krispies) were sold briefly in the U.S. and Canada.[5] Despite surviving longer in Canada than the U.S., they were finally discontinued altogether during the late 1990s.[6]
Rice Krispies with strawberry flavor included 1983's "Strawberry Krispies" and 1997's "Strawberry Rice Krispies". Australia had a strawberry version of Rice Bubbles which was discontinued along with other similarly coloured and sweetened foods in the mid-1970s due to concerns about the additives causing cancer. Banana-flavored Rice Krispies, including "Banana Bubbles" and "Banana Krispies", have also been sold in the past.
An extremely sweet, artificially-colored, cereal known as "Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies" was sold in the late 1990s.
Also discontinued are Rice Krispies with berry flavors, including "Berry Krispies" and "Berry Rice Krispies".[7]
In the late 90s and early 2000's, Rice Krispies with honey,"Honey Rice Krispies" was sold in the UK and Canada for a short period of time.
In 1941, Kellogg's employee Mildred Day concocted and published a recipe for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale consisting of Rice Krispies, melted marshmallows, and margarine. It has remained a very popular snack dubbed Rice Krispies treats. Kellogg's themselves have now produced commercial varieties of both marshmallow and chocolate-based treats under the name "Rice Krispies Squares" in Canada[8] and the UK, as well as versions under the original "Rice Krispies Treats" name sold in the U.S.[9]
In Australia, Rice Bubbles are found in a well-known home made sweet, the chocolate crackle. This is often found at fetes and consists of Rice Bubbles, copha and cocoa, amongst other things. In the UK, a similar treat is made of Rice Krispies and melted chocolate.[10] White Christmas is another Australian sweet made with rice bubbles, milk powder, copha and dried fruit
In addition to the products above, the "Rice Krispies" branding has also been associated with other products containing (or related to) Rice Krispies. These include commercial versions of 'Rice Krispie treats' known as "Rice Krispies squares",[8] cereal bars, and a multi-grain cereal known as "Rice Krispies Multi-Grain" (formerly "Muddles"[11]) sold on the UK market. Primarily aimed at children, "Multi-Grain" contains a prebiotic and is claimed by Kellogg's to promote good digestive health.[12]
Snap! Crackle! and Pop!, the animated cartoon mascots for Rice Krispies, were created by renowned illustrator Vernon Grant in the 1930s.[13] The original gnome-like Snap! first appeared in 1933 on a package of Kellogg's Rice Bubbles. Crackle! and Pop! came later, and since 1939, the three have been together in many forms of advertising, including radio, movie shorts, and comic strips. An updated version of the elf-like Snap, Crackle, and Pop appeared for the first time on television in 1960, before that it was advertised by Woody Woodpecker. They are the first and longest-running cartoon characters to represent a Kellogg's product.[14]
The cereal is marketed on the basis of the noises it produces when milk is added to the bowl. The onomatopoeic noises differ by country:[15]
In 1938 and 1939, Vernon Grant, the illustrator who created Snap, Crackle and Pop! produced a set of six illustrations of Mother Goose themes including "Humpty Dumpty", "Jack and Jill", "Jack Be Nimble", "Little Jack Horner", "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater", and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" that were offered as premiums in exchange for two Rice Krispies boxtops and a three-cent stamp.[13]
Rice Krispies also appear in a movie A Different Story from year 1978. One of the main characters eat them for breakfast - you can see how the box looked at that time.
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