‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
Most of us will have heard the saying before, but shoppers think Kellogg’s may have missed the memo.
This is because the cereal giant has just made a major change to one of its most beloved products, and fans can’t fathom why they did it.
The brand has confirmed it’s changed the recipe for Coco Pops in the UK, in a bid to make them ‘even crispier’.
Kellogg’s claims the cereal still has the ‘same great chocolatey taste’, but people aren’t convinced, with some claiming it tastes ‘disgusting’, ‘awful’, and ‘totally different’.
The upset caused by the change has been highlighted on Reddit, where one Brit slammed the new recipe as ‘diabolical’.
The anonymous social media user, known only as u/unk0wn_n_n, wrote: ‘I absolutely love Coco Pops taste and texture. I love that the milk behind tastes like a taro bubble tea drink!
‘But Coco Pops have changed their original version to be even crispier.
‘It tastes disgusting! It just tastes so artificial and floury.’
They continued: ‘Why change something when it’s [been] doing well for donkey’s years?
‘Don’t fix something that’s not broken.’
Dozens of people upvoted the post and agreed they weren’t keen on the new recipe.
‘I’m so sad about this,’ shared u/Patient_Web_7497 in the comments. ‘I eat Coco Pops every day and have for decades.’
Similarly, u/faisalkl replied: ‘My daughter (9) gave me the bowl this morning from the new pack and said that [it] tastes awful.
‘I thought, here we go, taste it, and yes, diabolical is the right word.
‘There’s something in there that makes it taste like a fake product. I know that cereals go through revisions, but I’m wondering which children they ran the taste test with because the flavour is awful.
‘How do you turn a fun product into something awful?’
The parent went on to say that they’d also spoken to their sister and neighbour about it, who said the exact same thing about the cereal.
How to make homemade Coco Pops
For those unhappy with the new recipe, you can always try to make your own version of the cereal at home.
@eatsbyellaa, who shares recipes on social media, has revealed how easy it is to create your own in just 20 minutes.
All you’ll need is puffed rice, cocoa powder, sea salt, melted coconut oil, and agave/maple syrup (to taste).
Here’s how she does it:
u/No_Stuff5746 also claimed the new recipe is ‘so bad’, saying: ‘They taste completely different!
‘They’re ridiculously crunchy, don’t soften or dissolve in milk, and have virtually no chocolate flavour. They taste like all the cheap knock-off cereal you get.
‘I had to throw my bowl away and have put the whole box in the bin. It’s honestly so strange.’
They added: ‘You can only assume it’s some sort of cost-cutting exercise, but how can you change a recipe so dramatically that it bears absolutely no resemblance to the original? They may as well have called it a completely new cereal. So, so disappointing.’
Others said they’d filled out a complaint survey, including u/Kate_Kate321, who spoke with customer service and says she was told there are ‘no plans to change them back’.
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What changes have Kellogg’s made to Coco Pops?
Metro asked Kellogg’s what happened to the cereal, and the brand confirmed the recipe has changed, with corn flour and rice flour being added.
A spokesperson told us: ‘We have updated the Coco Pops recipe, which is now made using corn flour and rice flour.
‘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 updated recipe has been carefully assessed for taste, appearance and texture, and we are continuing to listen closely to consumer feedback.’
They added: ‘Coco Pops remains non-HFSS, containing no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners and the nutritional benefits in each bowl, such as fibre, Vitamin D and iron are staying the same.’
Before this change, the ingredients list only featured: Rice, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Salt, Cocoa Mass, Barley Malt Extract, Flavourings, Niacin, Iron, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12.
Are other Kellogg’s cereals changing?
A few people have also claimed a similar change has been made to Rice Krispies.
The classic cereal, made from puffed grains of rice, now also has rice flour listed among its ingredients.
Reddit user u/faisalkl claimed: ‘It’s no longer whole rice and instead it’s rice flour turned into imitation puffed rice.’
Metro has contacted Kellogg’s for comment on this and to see if any other recipes have changed.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk