The History of Froot Loops

Froot Loops were created to replace a failed Kellogg’s cereal called OKs (the individual pieces were shaped like the letters O and K.) OKs were Kellogg’s attempt to create a bootleg version of the highly successful Cheerios cereal made by their competitor, General Mills. While the brand ultimately failed, Kellogg’s had invested in a lot of special equipment to make OKs and didn’t want it to go to waste, so they created a new brand that could be made using the same machinery — Froot Loops. The new cereal debuted in 1963. Originally, it included just red, orange, and yellow “loops.” (Over time, more colors were added, including blue and green.) Theoretically, the colors represented flavors like cherry, orange, and lemon. However, in the 1990s, Kellogg’s admitted that all the different colors are really just for show and that Froot Loops actually only come in a single flavor. Today, Froot Loops are known for having a lot of sugar and questionable ingredients, but still have plenty of fans, so they remain available on most grocery store shelves.