WK Kellogg Co

This article is about the business formed in 2023 from the spin-off of the Kellogg Company's North American cereal business. For the successor to the Kellogg Company, see Kellanova. For other uses, see Kellogg.

WK Kellogg Co
Company typeSubsidiary
NYSE: KLG (2023–2025)
IndustryFood
PredecessorKellogg's (now named Kellanova)
FoundedOctober 2, 2023 (2023-10-02)
Headquarters
Battle Creek, Michigan
,
United States
ProductsBreakfast cereal (only in North America)
BrandsSee below
Revenue US$2.71 billion (2024)
US$109 million (2024)
US$72 million (2024)
Total assets US$1.96 billion (2024)
Total equity US$317 million (2024)
Number of employees
3,280 (2024)
ParentFerrero
Websitewkkellogg.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

WK Kellogg Co[a] is an American food manufacturing company, split from Kellogg's on October 2, 2023, and headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was formed in October 2023 as part of Kellogg's spin-off of its North American breakfast cereal business, and it existed as an independent company for about two years before being acquired.

It was purchased by Ferrero SpA in September 2025.[2]

History

On October 2, 2023, WK Kellogg Co (named after Will Keith Kellogg, one of the original founders of the Kellogg's company) was spun off from the Kellogg Company and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the Kellogg Company was renamed Kellanova.[3][4][5][6] WK Kellogg produced cereal products for the North American market, while Kellanova continued making products for other markets.

On January 4, 2024, the company released two flavors of Eat Your Mouth Off for millennials and the Generation Z, it is the first vegan product by WK Kellogg.[7][8][9] On August 6, WK Kellogg announced that it would close a plant in Omaha, Nebraska at the end of 2026 and also reduce production at a plant in Memphis, Tennessee starting in late 2025. And that its plants in Battle Creek, Michigan, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Belleville, Ontario would increase production. It would spend $100 million for restructuring and another $390 million to purchase new technology and infrastructure.[10][11][12] On October 15, hundreds of protesters demanded at the companies headquarters to remove all artificial colors from its products.[13][14][15]

On April 5, 2025, Ken Paxton began an investigation into WK Kellogg, due to it claiming that its products are healthy.[16][17][18] When many of the artificial food colors are made from petroleum, which Paxton claims have been linked to autoimmune disorders, cancer, endocrine disease, hyperactivity and obesity.[18][19] On May 6, the company announced that its net sales would decrease 2 percent to 3 percent, due to the weak sales of its products and the high costs of tariffs.[20][21][22] On July 10, it was announced that Ferrero would buy WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion,[23][24][25] causing the stock of the company to increase to 30%.[26][27][28] Cerberus Capital Management and Dean Metropoulos also had tried to purchase WK Kellogg.[29] In late July, the company announced that it was going to remove all artificial colors from its products by the end of 2027,[30][31] WK Kellogg became the first company to sign a legally binding agreement to remove them from their products.[32] On September 19, shareholders approved the sale of WK Kellogg to Ferrero,[2][33] and seven days later the acquisition was completed.[34][35][36]

In late January 2026, the company released three new Froot Loops for a limited time: Cocoa Loops, Glazed Donut Holes and Sweethearts.[37][38] In early February, Ferrero chose Jean-Baptiste Santoul as the chief operating officer of WK Kellogg.[39][40][41] In March 3, it was announced that Lapo Civiletti would become the new president of the company on the first day of September.[42][43][44]

Data breach

On February 27, 2025, WK Kellogg Co learned that it became a victim of a data breach.[45][46] They reported it to Cleo Communications, which confirmed that the data breach took place on December 7, 2024.[47] WK Kellogg reported the attack to the Maine Attorney General on April 4, they did this after one employee in the state had their name and social security number stolen.[46][48] They notified the employee and offered them credit monitoring, it also required all of its vendors and CLEO to add strict security protocols.[47] Clop was responsible for the ransomware attack on Cleo.[45][47]

Finances

In 2024, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies and Special K made up seventy percent of the sales.[49][50]

Interview controversy

In an interview with CNBC, CEO Gary Pilnick said this:[51][52][53]

"Consumers are under pressure...so we're advertising about cereal for dinner... Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure. The cereal category is a place that a lot of folks might come to because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and with fruit is less than a dollar. So you can imagine why a consumer under pressure might find that to be a good place to go. If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that's going to be much more affordable."

Peter Welch after seeing the interview said: "A worker at Kellogg's making $20 an hour would have to work 96 years to equal the $4 million that CEO Gary Pilnick makes annually. People don't need to eat cereal for dinner, they need corporations to stop ripping them off."[53] Marianne Williamson also responded by saying: "Advertising to hungry people that cereal might be good for dinner is not meeting people where they are. It's exploiting the hungry for financial gain."[52] TikTok user James Li said this: "And how do you think consumers became under pressure? It's companies like Kellogg that have used the excuse of inflation in order to price gauge consumers."[51]

And many people on social media after seeing the interview were angry.[51][53]

Brands

Brands include:[54]

Further reading

  • Casey, Chris (October 4, 2023). "WK Kellogg Co CEO says new company sees 'future beyond cereal'". Food Dive. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  • Casey, Chris (November 9, 2023). "WK Kellogg Co CEO talks the future of cereal". Food Dive. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  • "WK Kellogg expands school cereal range in the US". Ingredients Insight. November 7, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  • Levy, Sandra (January 30, 2026). "WK Kellogg Co partners with Mayors Alliance, No Kid Hungry to fight childhood hunger". Drug Store News. Retrieved March 18, 2026.

Notes

  1. ^ The official legal name of the company, as registered with the Delaware secretary of state and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, does not follow the traditional American English convention of terminating the abbreviation "Co" (for Company) with a period.

References

  1. ^ "2024 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Ferrero Completes Acquistion of WK Kellogg". European Food Agency. September 29, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  3. ^ Lucas, Amelia (October 2, 2023). "Kellogg's cereal business begins trading as stand-alone company WK Kellogg". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023.
  4. ^ Kellogg's splits into Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co but Australian shoppers may not notice the difference ABC News October 4, 2023
  5. ^ Oguh, Chibuike; Vanaik, Granth (October 2, 2023). "Kellanova, WK Kellogg shares slump on first day after spinoff". Reuters. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  6. ^ Sandhu-Longoria, Sandhu (September 11, 2023). "Kellogg Company split into Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co". USA Today. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  7. ^ Casey, Chris (January 4, 2024). "WK Kellogg Co debuts new cereal brand in better-for-you push". Food Dive. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  8. ^ "WK Kellogg Co. Unveils First 100% Plant-Based Cereal After Split From Kellogg's". vegconomist. January 4, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  9. ^ Ho, Sally (January 8, 2024). "Kellogg Launches New Vegan Cereal To Capture Gen Z Snackers". green queen. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  10. ^ Durbin, Dee-Ann (August 6, 2024). "WK Kellogg to close Omaha plant, downsize in Memphis as it shifts production to newer facilities". Associated Press. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  11. ^ Shanker, Deena (August 6, 2024). "WK Kellogg to Close Plant in Omaha, Scale Back Memphis Facility". Bloomberg News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  12. ^ "WK Kellogg to streamline production as slowing demand pressures sales". Reuters. August 6, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  13. ^ Durbin, Dee-Ann (October 15, 2024). "Protesters demand Kellog remove artificial colors from Froot Loops and other cereals". Associated Press. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  14. ^ Wehner, Greg (October 15, 2024). "Protesters insist Kellogg remove artificial dyes from cereals like Froot Loops: reports". Fox Business. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  15. ^ McCarthy, Kelly (October 16, 2024). "Kellogg's faces protests over food dyes in popular breakfast cereals". ABC News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  16. ^ Doering, Christopher (April 7, 2025). "Texas AG investigating Kellogg over 'unhealthy' cereal claims". Food Dive. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  17. ^ "Texas opens probe into WK Kellogg over health claims". Reuters. April 7, 2025. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  18. ^ a b Cross, Greta (April 8, 2025). "Texas AG Ken Paxton launches investigation into Kellogg's over artificial food colors". USA Today. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  19. ^ "Texas announces probe into WK Kellogg's 'health' claims". Just Food. April 8, 2025. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  20. ^ "WK Kellogg cuts annual sales, profit forecasts on softening packaged food demand". Reuters. May 6, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  21. ^ Seal, Dean (May 6, 2025). "WK Kellogg Cuts Outlook Over Tariffs, Softening Sales". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  22. ^ Kubzansky, Will (May 6, 2025). "Kellogg Declines After Cutting Outlook on Weakening Demand". Bloomberg News. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  23. ^ Mishra, Savyata; Venugopal, Aishwarya (July 10, 2025). "Froot Loops maker WK Kellogg agrees to $3.1 billion deal from Italy's Ferrero". Reuters. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  24. ^ "Ferrero to Buy WK Kellogg in Candy-Meets-Cereal Deal". The New York Times. July 10, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  25. ^ Chia, Osmond; Sherman, Natalie (July 10, 2025). "Ferrero to take over US breakfast cereal giant Kellogg". BBC. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  26. ^ Valinsky, Jordan (July 10, 2025). "Nutella's parent company Ferrero is buying cereal maker WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion". CNN Business. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  27. ^ Gardazi, Syed (July 10, 2025). "WK Kellogg Stock Surges 30% As Italy's Ferrero Group Agrees $3.1B Acquisition". Forbes Middle East. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  28. ^ Tatananni, Mackenzie; Liu, Evie (July 10, 2025). "WK Kellogg Stock Soars 30%. Ferrero Is Acquiring the Cereal Maker for $3.1 Billion". Barron's. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  29. ^ Summerville, Abigail (July 11, 2025). "Cerberus and Dean Metropoulos also made a bid for WK Kellogg, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  30. ^ Doering, Christopher (July 21, 2025). "Froot Loops maker WK Kellogg to remove artificial colors". Food Dive. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  31. ^ "Froot Loops, Apple Jacks to Cut Synthetic Dyes by 2027". Bloomberg News. July 18, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  32. ^ Koch, Alexandra (August 13, 2025). "Kellogg's becomes first company to sign legally binding agreement removing toxic dyes from cereals". Fox Business. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  33. ^ "WK Kellogg Co Approves Merger with Ferrero". The Globe and Mail. September 20, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  34. ^ Adam, Diane (September 26, 2025). "Ferrero completes acquisition of WK Kellogg Co". CSP Daily News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  35. ^ "Ferrero Completes Aquisition of WK Kellogg Co". The Globe and Mail. September 27, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  36. ^ Bell, Mac (September 26, 2025). "European company acquires WK Kellogg". WHTM-TV. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  37. ^ Wingfield, Sydney (January 18, 2026). "Kellogg's Just Launched 3 All-New Flavors of a Fan-Favorite Cereal". allrecipes. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  38. ^ Chachowski, Richard (January 20, 2026). "Froot Loops Releases Three New Limited-Time Flavors Fans Are Calling 'A Must Try'". Parade. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  39. ^ Shepard, Liz (February 2, 2026). "WK Kellogg Co announces new leadership - What we know". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  40. ^ Redman, Russell (February 2, 2026). "Ferrero taps Jean-Baptiste Santoul to helm WK Kellogg". Food Business News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  41. ^ Doering, Christopher (February 3, 2026). "Ferrero names insider to head WK Kellogg". Food Dive. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  42. ^ "Wk Kellogg Co Appoints Lapo Civiletti as President". MarketScreener. March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  43. ^ "The Ferrero Group strengthens its governance, with Alessandro Nervegna appointed CEO of Ferrero Core". La Milano. March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  44. ^ Bradshaw, Melissa (March 4, 2026). "Ferrero announces new leadership structure". FoodBev Media. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  45. ^ a b Toulas, Bill (April 7, 2025). "Food giant WK Kellogg discloses data breach linked to Clop ransomware". Bleeping Computer. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  46. ^ a b Jones, David (April 8, 2025). "WK Kellogg confirms employee data breach tied to Cleo file - transfer flaw". Cybersecurity Dive. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  47. ^ a b c Bairaboina, Pradeep (April 8, 2025). "WK Kellogg confirms data breach amid Clop ransomware incidents". Tech Monitor. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  48. ^ Mascellino, Alessandro (April 9, 2025). "WK Kellogg Confirms Data Breach tied to Celo Software Exploit". Infosecurity Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  49. ^ Doering, Christopher (March 11, 2024). "WK Kellogg focusing on cereal before turning to M&A, CEO says". Food Dive. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  50. ^ Houlton, Cara (November 8, 2024). "WK Kellogg profits and sales beat forecasts amid robust demand". Grocery Gazette. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  51. ^ a b c Coblentz, Emilee (February 26, 2024). "Shoppers call out Kellogg CEO's 'cereal for dinner' pitch for struggling families". USA Today. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  52. ^ a b Vargas, Ramon (February 27, 2024). "Let them eat Flakes: Kellogg's CEO says poor families should consider 'cereal for dinner'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  53. ^ a b c Binns, Daniel (February 28, 2024). "Kellogg's boss says poor people should eat cereal for dinner". Sky News. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  54. ^ Brands WK Kellogg & Co
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