Battle Creek is the birthplace of breakfast cereal and is famously known as “Cereal City, USA.” Kellogg’s has changed ownership again, this time to an Italian chocolate maker.
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes were originally invented as part of a vegetarian diet for patients at Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1894 by Ella Eaton Kellogg, John Harvey Kellogg, and his brother William Keith Kellogg.
After a high demand for mail orders for Corn Flakes, it was W. K. Kellogg who would later launch the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. The company name changed to Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company, then to the Kellogg Company.
The Kellogg Company thrived for many years by adding more cereal brands. In 1964, the company introduced its first non-cereal product: Pop-Tarts. Kellogg began acquiring companies, including Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Eggo, Keebler Company, Cheez-It, and many more brands.
Kellogg’s was split into two companies in 2023 and rebranded to Kellanova. Then, in 2024, Mars Inc. acquired Kellanova. Now, another company has acquired the Kellanova brand from Mars Inc
Chocolate Maker Snaps Up Kellogg’s in Surprise Deal
According to WOOD, Italian chocolate maker Ferrero has purchased WK Kellogg Co. for over $3 billion. After 120 years of changing breakfast and snacks for the world, Kellogg will continue under new ownership.
Ferrero’s chocolate confectionery company is in more than 170 countries and already has brands including Ferrero Rocher, Blue Bunny, Butterfinger, Kinder, and Nutella. Ferrero looks to expand all of Kellogg’s big brands globally. Kellogg is not going anywhere, but its employees will have a new boss…