Do you know the origin of Sucrilhos?
Breakfast cereals are guaranteed breakfast presence for many people around the world, but few people know how and by whom they were invented. The flakes were accidentally created by a pair of brothers from Michigan, USA, while they were experimenting with wheat to develop a "digestible" bread substitute that would be served at their clinic.
The pair in question were Dr. John and businessman Will Kellogg - their last name you know, right? - and the accidental discovery took place in 1894. They both forgot some wheat soaking in water overnight, realizing then that the resulting material could be molded and baked into little pieces.
After several tests, the Kellogg brothers decided to apply the same process to maize, and this is how the corn flakes emerged. However, early on, the product was sold only by mail and to patients at John's clinic, who had no interest in marketing the flakes on a large scale. However, a heavyweight contender eventually consolidated the Kellogg brothers into the market after a long battle.
Stolen Revenue
One of John Kellogg's former patients - a man named CW Post - decided to "borrow" the cereal recipe, founding a successful company in 1896. After launching some products and even a cereal called "Grape Nuts, " Post introduced market corn flakes in the early 20th century.
With the new competition, Will Kellogg, the entrepreneur brother, decided to expand the business, and that's when the battle for market leadership began between the two companies. Over the years, to get ahead of each other, the two competitors began to develop new products, such as the famous - and delicious - sugar-coated cereals.
Post was the first to market the news, but the formulation of its products - which had a crystal clear sugar coating - presented some problems, causing the cereals to become hard and stick together, forming a sticky block. . So while their team underwent extensive tests to get around these issues, the Kellogg brothers developed that characteristic white cover.
Mascots
Once again, the first to launch animals as cereal mascots was the company of Post, with three bears that appeared in advertisements and packaging. The Kellogg, not to be outdone, decided to use animals as well, and the company's marketing team presented three options to become a corn flake symbol. So they created kangaroo Katy, elephant Elmo and tiger Tony.
As the packages with the graceful tiger flew off market shelves, Tony eventually became Kellogg's world poster boy. And that's how the brothers' developed cereal flakes became a smash hit, remaining the No. 1 cereal in US sales for 50 years, and conquering the rest of the world as well.
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