Pop-Tarts

Pop-Tarts World, New York

In the early 1960s, Kellogg's biggest competitor, Post, invented a process for dehydrating food and enclosing it in foil to keep it fresh—first used for dog food—and adapted it to its new toaster-prepared breakfast pastry. Intended to complement its cold cereals, Post announced its new product to the press in 1964 before they went to market, calling them "Country Squares".[5]

Because Post had revealed Country Squares before they were ready for the marketplace, Kellogg was able to develop its version in six months, being created by a former Keebler employee named Bill Post.[6][7] Initially called Fruit Scones, the name was soon changed to Pop-Tarts as a pun on the then popular Pop Art movement.[8] The product, advertised by an animated, anthropomorphic toaster named Milton, became so popular that Kellogg could not keep up with demand.[9] The first shipment of Pop-Tarts to stores sold out in two weeks, and Kellogg's ran advertisements apologizing for the empty shelves. This only increased demand for the new product.[10]

The first Pop-Tarts came in four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple currant, which was soon renamed apple-berry.[9] Originally unfrosted when first introduced in 1964,[11] it was later determined that frosting could withstand the toaster, and the first frosted Pop-Tarts were released in 1967. As of 2021, there are over 20 standard Pop-Tart flavors, including hot fudge sundae, s'mores, raspberry, and grape.

Pop-Tarts were introduced with fairly substantial marketing to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s. Chocotastic and Strawberry Sensation are available in most major UK supermarkets.[12]

The United States military airdropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts in Afghanistan during the initial attack in 2001.[13]

A temporary Pop-Tarts store opened in New York City in 2010; it was operational until December 31 that year.

As of 2014, sales of Pop-Tarts had increased for 32 straight years.[14]

In 2023, Pop-Tarts became a product of Kellanova following the spinoff of Kellogg's breakfast cereal operations into WK Kellogg Co.

Kellogg's keeps between 20 and 30 flavors in production at any time, and is constantly testing and trying new flavors to meet shifting consumer tastes.[15]

Frosted Strawberry

Brown Sugar Cinnamon

Unfrosted Blueberry

Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Latte

Presto Pizza was a pizza flavored toaster pastry produced by Kelloggs in 1971, and retired less than a year later.[20]

Pastry Swirls were introduced in the mid-1990s and were similar to a competitor Pillsbury's Toaster Strudels. Pastry Swirls were bigger and thicker than regular Pop-Tarts and had less icing. Flavors included Cherry Cheese Danish and Cinnamon Cream. Sales were disappointing, and the products were discontinued in 2001.

Snak-Stix, a portable break-apart version intended as an after-school snack for children, was introduced in 2002.[21] The new product was launched with a massive media tie-in with the American Idol TV show and live tour. It did not sell well and was discontinued a year later.

Go-Tarts were another attempt at a snack-sized product, released in 2006. These were thicker, narrow, and wrapped individually (instead of in packages of two). Go-Tarts were discontinued in 2008.

Mini Crisps were introduced in 2011 as a bite-sized, cracker-like pastry with no filling. They originally sold in 60-calorie pouches but were discontinued after poor sales. They were brought back in a larger size in 2018, as Pop Tart Crisps. The newer version is a larger bar-sized crispy pastry with filling and frosting.[22]

Pop-Tarts Bites are a smaller, bite-sized version sold in pouches. They were originally introduced in 1994 but ceased production the next year. Kellogg's brought them back in 2018 in Frosted Strawberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavors and has announced plans to expand to more flavors.[23]

Pop Tarts Cereal was originally made in 1994, and sold through the early 2000s. Kellogg's brought it back in 2019 with two flavors: strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon.[24]

In June 2021, Jerry Seinfeld announced he would produce and star in a movie about the creation of the Pop-Tart. The film, Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story, will be released on Netflix in 2023.[25]

The History Channel series The Food That Built America has two episodes that include Pop Tarts. The first episode of the first season includes the rivalry between the Kellogg and Post companies, and mentions the invention of the Pop-Tart. The first episode of season four goes into more detail about the creation of the Pop Tart and the rival Country Squares from Post.[26]

The TV show Family Guy featured a song about Pop-Tarts, and how good they taste with butter.[27]

Industry trade groups have raised issues with Pop-Tarts advertising. In 2003, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) and the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association told the Food and Drug Administration's Obesity Working Group that:

Efforts to capitalize on consumer demand for healthier foods has led to the on and off label promotion of products that contain relatively small amounts of fruits and vegetables and/or contain them as part of a product with unhealthy amounts of fat, sodium, or refined carbohydrates. These products, such as fruit drinks, pop tarts [sic], and highly sugared cereals, are more often energy dense than nutrient dense. FDA, working with the FTC, should strengthen its guidelines to prevent the promotion of products based on their fruit and vegetable content unless these products maintain the integrity of fruits and vegetables as healthy foods, and make a reasonable contribution to the recommended daily intake for fruits and vegetables.[28]

Pop-Tarts introduced a new advertising campaign, "Crazy Good", in 2004.[29] Characters that appeared often were a singing lizard and a group of children, dubbed "crazy-good kids", who commonly frightened the Pop-Tarts and caused them to be eaten or chased away. The sound design and signature "TaDa" opening and closings were created by Kamen Entertainment Group, Inc. The ads employ squiggly animation, surrealist humor, and non sequitur, all of which bear a strong resemblance to the signature work of animator Don Hertzfeldt. One "crazy-good kid" in particular bears strong resemblance to Billy in Hertzfeldt's Billy's Balloon. However, Hertzfeldt was not involved in any way with these advertisements and in 2006 was considering possible litigation for stealing his work.[30]

In 2006, the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, prompted by a customer complaint, "recommended that Kellogg modify packaging, eliminate the phrase 'made with real fruit'." Kellogg agreed to do so, and redesigned packages for the Pop-Tarts line accordingly; they assured CARU that the "claim does not appear on television or print advertising" and offered to "participate in CARU's self-regulatory process" and "take CARU's focus areas into consideration" as Kellogg proceeds with its "future child-directed advertising."[31]

Cable in the Classroom has used a Pop-Tarts television commercial as an example in its media literacy program for children.[32] They ask adults to watch a Pop-Tarts commercial with their children or students and "have them look at how much product information is presented and how much is really about lifestyle or attitude."[33]

Thomas Nangle filed a lawsuit in 1992, suing Kellogg for damages after his Pop-Tart became stuck in his toaster and caught fire. The case gained wider notoriety when humorist Dave Barry wrote a column about starting a fire in his own toaster with Pop-Tarts.[34][35] Texas A&M University Corpus Christi professor Patrick Michaud performed a 1994 experiment showing that when left in the toaster too long, strawberry Pop-Tarts could produce flames to about 1.5 ft (46 cm) high.[36] The discovery triggered a number of lawsuits. Since then, Pop-Tarts carry the warning: "Due to possible risk of fire, never leave your toasting appliance or microwave unattended."

In October 2021, a woman in New York sued Kellogg's for $5 million over what she claimed was misleading advertising about Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Her suit alleged, "The strawberry representations are misleading because the Product has less strawberries than consumers expect based on the labeling."[37] This lawsuit was dismissed in March 2022, with US District Judge Marvin Aspin writing "The word 'Strawberry,' combined with a picture of half of a strawberry and a Pop-Tart oozing red filling, does not guarantee that there will be a certain amount of strawberries in the product's filling."[38]

Pop-Tarts have been the subject of recalls when mislabeling could lead to serious allergic reactions. On August 4, 1995, it was announced that 94,500 cartons of Smucker's Real Fruit Frosted Strawberry pastries actually contained the Chocolate Fudge variety.[39] In 2002, Kellogg alerted the public that egg was an undeclared ingredient in its Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.[40] In 2006, they alerted the public that some Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts contained milk as an undeclared ingredient.[41]

• Convenience food
• Pastries

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• Official website