EAT'S HISTORY
The Problematic Story of Froot Loops | Kellogg's Secrets Exposed
Froot Loops, the colorful and sugary cereal that has become a staple of American breakfast culture, was introduced by Kellogg's in 1963. Created to appeal to children with its vibrant colors and mascot, Toucan Sam, the cereal has a surprising and complex backstory linked to the controversial history of the Kellogg family itself. The company’s founder, John Harvey Kellogg, was a 19th-century physician and nutritionist known for his strict dietary principles and controversial beliefs, including his stance on purity, diet, and health. His eccentric ideas about nutrition were initially aimed at creating foods that discouraged unhealthy eating habits and even curbed certain “undesirable” behaviors. Ironically, as Kellogg's commercialized and evolved under his brother, Will Kellogg, it shifted from health-focused products to the sugary, artificial cereals like Froot Loops that we know today. Over the years, Kellogg's has been criticized for marketing Froot Loops as a “nutritious” breakfast despite its high sugar content and artificial additives. This evolution from strict dietary ideals to colorful, sugary indulgences makes the history of Froot Loops an intriguing reflection of the brand’s complex legacy.
- Broadcast on:
- 12 Oct 2024
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- other
Here's a radical idea. Let's create a loop-shaped fruit so dehydrated that it almost feels sharp. Then add to that very generous amounts of sugar and some food dye to the point of creating almost unnatural looking colors. Colors new to mankind. And voila, you have the tastiest breakfast food in America. Or in other words, fruit loops. For better or worse, when this breakfast product came to prominence in 1963, it really was something of a revolutionary concept. American breakfasts were not a source of entertainment, but thanks to a stronghold of corporate foods, everything was changing. And when fruit loops came on the scene, it not only dazzled consumers visually, but also mastered the art of magnificent artificial smells. In fact, they were so confident in their products, aerobic powers, that they introduced it to the public under the following marketing catchphrase. Follow my nose. It always knows. But here's the twist. The story of this breakfast food, along with many other cereals you know and love, the roots back to a source that you probably wouldn't believe. Religious fundamentalism. So stay tuned as we cover the enchanting story of Fruit Loops and Kellogg Cereal. I'm your host Ryan Soakash and you're watching Eat's History. Our story today traces back to February the 26th, 1852, when American businessman and inventor John Harvey Kellogg was born in Tyrone, Michigan. The Kellogg family has its ancestry in England with Nicholas Kellogg in 1486, recorded as the oldest known relative. Fast forward a few hundred years, and at some point, in the mid-17th century, Daniel Kellogg presumed to be around the age of 26 at the time, moved to the New World. He was said to have been a massive seven foot tall man, believed to have been deeply involved in the development of his town, and was frequently relied upon for intervention when it came to conflict between the Native Americans and the colonists. Daniel was also a father of nine children, some of whom went on to establish local prominence and respectable wealth. For example, Ebenezer Kellogg graduated from Yale and became a minister in the newly formed North Bolton Parish Meeting House in Vernon. Religious leadership only promoted the family further, and they now influenced the community. And importantly, had a moral high ground that would be very hard to impeach. This promotion only grew as Ebenezer's son George Kellogg became a deacon in the early 19th century, and rose to government power by representing the Vernon legislature throughout 1865, later becoming a member of the state senate in 1866. Throughout all of this, and for important context, the Kellogg family had come to possess a massive farm. As far back is 1751, these grounds had served as a cemetery where many of the family's early settlers were buried. Known as the Old North Bolton Barrean Ground, its location was also pinnacle in establishing the meeting house. By the time John Kellogg was born in 1852, his family already had both generational influence and a financial foundation that would be the catalyst to do something special. John Harvey Kellogg was born on February the 26th, 1852, in Tyrone, Michigan, where he spent his childhood on the John Preston Kellogg and Annie Stanley Family Farm. The family were all faithful members of the Millerites, who believed the second coming would happen on October the 22nd, 1844. A date later known as the "great disappointment". Accordingly, in keeping with religious practices, the family had a moral obligation to live a healthy life. A notion that forbid the use of alcohol or tobacco. This, for the time being, meant that many traditions, critical medicine practices, were unavailable to those who believed in this faith. As a workaround, the church sought to train its own doctors. It even established a university called Hijio Therapeutic College in New Jersey, with the motto "healthy mind and a healthy body". Ultimately, John would study at the more traditional University of Michigan's medical school. Though, in staying true to his faith, he knew that he would not work in medicine in the conventional sense. Rather, he wanted to focus on preventative measures. Hence, upon finishing his education in 1876, John took an appointment as superintendent of the Western Health Reform Institute, later known as the "Battle Creek Sanitarium". Under his leadership, and with the help of his brother, the facility was transformed into a globally recognized destination, offering unique medical retreats for the rich and powerful. On one hand, from today's perspective at least, it seemed like he was pushing pseudoscience, and many have accused him of just that. Yet, on the other hand, sanitariums like this had been treating people back in Europe for many centuries, so perhaps there was something to it. Anyway, the Battle Creek Sanitarium was complete, with a 15-story tower, 1,200 bedrooms, hundreds of baths, and a grand lobby, the size of a football field. There were also indoor gardens, doctors' offices, and many other amenities. The facility, which was five acres in total, had its own dedicated power plant to illuminate the spaces for nighttime activities. As lovely as that all might sound, there were also some very controversial claims about the treatments that went on here. For example, allegedly, there was an animal machine that injected patients with up to 14 liters of water per minute. There was an electric light bath, a cabinet of light bulbs to cure ailments from riders' cramps to syphilis. And perhaps the most controversial of all, can't really be disclosed here on YouTube, but offered a range of unthinkable treatments for those who, let's say, had self-grooming habits. In the meantime, John was hard at work on breakfast, which back then was different. People normally ate leftovers from whatever they had the dinner before, and not much else. You see, John's religion called for eating food in its natural state. The followers would often eat raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Admittedly, this sounds like a reasonable approach. At minimum, you could skip your visit to John's animal machine, and at best, you'd enjoy improved health, vitality, and wellness. So, as the years passed, John and his brother will experiment with recipes to create the perfect, digestible food. Something balanced, and not overly stimulating for his patients. This was when they stumbled upon corn flakes, and it was an accidental discovery, believe it or not. The story goes as follows. John's brother forgot to put away his wheat berry dough, and left it out overnight. Then, the following day, when the two brothers rolled and toasted it, they discovered it became crunchy and flaky. They gave this weird experiment to their sanatorium guests, and were very surprised when it became an instant hit. Recognizing the potential, Will wanted to keep the recipe a secret. Add sugar, and grow the breakfast cereal as a business. John, self-righteously and strongly disagreed, remaining committed to his Puritan ways, and hence, he immediately offered this snack, this discovery, to his guests. Apparently, one of these guests was C.W. Post, who was said to have pulled a Steve Jobs, as he copied the process and started the Post cereal company, which would later be acquired by general foods with great success. We covered this story in depth in our pop-tart video, so please check that out if you'd like to see more. Anyhow, Will's brother had insights as a bookkeeper that his idealistic brother did not consider, and in light of this, the two entered a period of extreme contention. Long story short, Will founded the Battle Creek Toasted Cornflake Company and sued his brother John for continuing to sell their invention back at the sanatorium. But even that would bring problems of its own. You see, in 1902, the church noticed that the brothers were selling a stimulating food, and even worse, they were monetizing it, and this revelation caused extreme tension to the point that the church sent their parish elsewhere. As a result, the sanatorium fell into a debt spiral, and the five acres of electrified and heated space became an operation that was beyond recovery. This downward spiral culminated on February 18, 1902, when a raging fire destroyed the entire facility, as well as the church, a devastating event from which the sanatorium would never recover. At this point, the Kellogg family was expelled from the church, and John focused on his work serving the Michigan State Board of Health, writing some 50 books in the process, including some of the earliest warnings against the risk of smoking. According to some sources, his lobbying effort also resulted in laws allowing a range of dark practices. Will have to gloss over this chapter to keep things YouTube friendly, but suffice it to say, he had some flaws. John would live until 1943, passing in Battle Creek, Michigan, but in the time between, his brother Will was busy creating what we now know is Kellogg's cereal. Around the turn of the century, John relinquished his rights to the toasted cornflakes company, so Will could take things to the next level, without regard to ideological concerns. By 1909, the company was rebranded to Kellogg's toasted cornflakes, and began producing 120,000 cases of cornflakes daily. John resented his brother success and filed a complaint, which took 10 years to resolve, and reached the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled in Will's favor. Even so, the empire rapidly grew, with multiple factories, they were unstoppable. In fact, they survived the Great Depression by reducing shifts to 30 hours a week. And surprisingly, this practice of a shorter work week only ended after World War II. However, some parts of the company maintained that policy all the way up to 1980. William Kellogg enjoyed his prominence by moving to California, where he founded the Arabian Horse Ranch in 1925. This horse breeding operation was accessible to the elite, via the W.K. Kellogg Airport, which for the time was the largest privately owned airport in the entire country, as well as an asset that he would ultimately donate to the University of California in 1932. And it was used in this fashion until the U.S. War Department seized the land in the 1940s. Ultimately, however, it came back into the possession of the Kellogg Foundation years later, losing his battle with a circulatory illness at the age of 91, having outlived most of his own children. So with the passing of its founder, Kellogg's entered a new, more corporate era, one that some rather radical products would define. The 1960s were a radical time for American food products in general. According to some sources, with the rise of the feminist movement, also came the rise of opportunistic corporations looking to fill the void of what had been home-cooked food in generations past. This is when Kellogg's introduced its non-serial products, such as Poptarts, but they also propagated some acquired brands, like Salata Tea or Mrs. Smith's Pies, Ego, and so on. However, this more outrageous version of an American breakfast was not initially very appealing to the parents of the baby boomers, who still placed more emphasis on nutritional value. In fact, at one point, things looked so dire that a prominent Wall Street analyst commented that Kellogg was, quote, "a fine company that's past its prime." Even so, the corporation had insights the market predictors didn't fully understand. As more mothers headed into the workplace and direct TV marketing pushed slogans like "Kellogg's puts more into your day on Sunday morning, the tide began to shift." With that in mind, Americans only took two decades to trade real nutrition for convenience. By 1983, the U.S. ready-to-eat cereal market was worth $3.7 billion, increasing to $5.8 billion by 1988. Kellogg's never let the ball drop. They continued to innovate, creating legendary brands for the adult market, like Raisin Squares and Neutrogame Biscuits, while their primary competitors, General Mills and Post, were focused on the children's market. However, they did produce classics such as Rice Krispie Treats, Apple Jacks, Cinnamonnibuns, Cocoa Pops, and of course, Fruit Loops. Although the story of Fruit Loops itself, like most of the products that you'll see in the grocery store these days, is far less inspiring. Basically, Fruit Loops cereal was developed by Kellogg's and introduced to the market in 1963 at a time of a changing American breakfast table. And though I find it to be a bit disappointing, the credit for this invention goes to the team of food scientists and marketers at Kellogg's. Specific individuals are not typically named in this context of product development, which is a very common practice. Anyhow, with its distinct, colorful rings and fruity flavor, Fruit Loops became one of Kellogg's iconic breakfast cereals, appealing to children in particular. The cereal's mascot, Tuchum Sam, was created to help market the product, and in many ways became a symbol of the era. Curiously, Mel Blanc, who is also famous for voicing iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, provided the original voice of Tuchum Sam, with subsequent voice actors taking the role on over the years. The name Fruit Loops is a play on the word "fruit" and emphasizes the cereal's fruity taste and the loop shape of the pieces. But the main ingredients are actually more about dyes and artificial flavoring than authentic real fruit. Initially, they were only red, orange, and yellow, with the green, blue, and purple loops added during the 1990s. Blue was introduced last in 1996. The loops all share the same fruit blend flavor, and it's pretty consistent, however, different production methods are used in the UK, where the company had misleadingly sold the idea that each loop color was a distinct flavor. With that in mind, Fruit Loops have become an essential part of a mainstream American diet, as is reflected in the product's prevalence and pop culture. And the references here are endless. There was the part in Hangover 3 when Mr. Chow humorously referred to Fruit Loops, or in Big Daddy, Adam Sandler's character, serves Fruit Loops to Julian. What started as an unusual religious solution to eating breakfast at a health resort for the rich and powerful ended up at pretty much unprecedented heights of everyday American culture. And just to make sure we understand each other, I'm not saying that sarcastically. Thank you all for watching. I hope you'll consider hitting subscribe. Otherwise, until next time, this is Ryan Soakash signing off.