Kellogg's removes rice from Rice Krispies as El Niño wreaks havoc on Asia weather

Kellogg's removes rice from Rice Krispies as El Niño wreaks havoc on Asia weather Kellog's has said it is changing the recipe for both Rice Krispies and Coco Pops as extreme heat conjured by the El Niño weather phenomenon has impacted rice production in Asia Kellogg's will drop the rice from its Rice Krispies and Coco Pops as weather conditions — influenced by El Niño — have disrupted its supplies, the cereal giant has said. The American multinational food chain has said it will reformulate its recipes after relentlessly dry weather in the Asian nations where it sources its rice hampered harvests. The two products will now instead be made using corn and rice flour, and Kellogg's says the new recipes have been "carefully assessed", with customer feedback considered. It will mean, however, that Brit consumers who pick up packs will be greeted by an all-new dietary warning. Consumers in the UK will be greeted by a "contains wheat gluten" warning when buying Rice Krispies or Coco Pops when the change comes into effect, while those in Canada and the US can continue to enjoy the products unaltered. A spokesperson for the firm said the move would allow it to "maintain consistent quality" in the face of rice "quality and availability" issues. The spokesperson said in a statement: “We have updated the Rice Krispies and Coco Pops recipes, which are 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 recipes have been carefully assessed for taste, appearance and texture, and we are continuing to listen closely to consumer feedback." Regional experts have long warned that rising global temperatures in Asian rice producing nations is proving costly both for food insecurity and general instability. Most of the world relies on the continent for rice production, which is expected to be further affected by the advent of an especially strong El Niño, a weather phenomenon where sea temperatures rise exponentially, causing a knock-on effect on global weather. The phenomenon is known to produce droughts, floods and heatwaves, although the effects vary by region. Southeast Asia, the region responsible for the bulk of the world's rice production — providing more than a quarter of the total demand — is bracing for especially severe drought and extreme heat. According to the World Meteorological Agency, this year's El Niño, which is already breaking records and has been dubbed a "truly unprecedented event" by the Met Office, will last until 2027. As rice production declines, Rice Krispies sales are in decline, both in terms of overall volume and value. The changes will mean that packets are to carry prominent labelling alerting customers to the change, with the wheat gluten warning to replace one reading “may contain gluten”. Kellogg's has said that the new recipes for both Rice Krispies and Coco Pops will meet UK food standards for fat, sugar and salt levels, with the nutritional benefits of each bowl - including fibre content and iron levels - unchanged.