You Can’t Pig Out on These Porky Cereals! A Guide to Spotting Hidden Pig Parts in Popular Breakfast Foods
As someone who avoids pork for religious, ethical, or health reasons, scanning nutrition labels has become second nature But certain sneaky ingredients still manage to oink their way into many family favorites You may spit out your cereal if you discovered it contained pork! Believe it or not, several popular breakfast cereals secretly contain pig-based additives like gelatin. This handy guide will help you sniff out which cereals have hidden hog and better breakfast options to fill your bowl.
Why Pig Parts End Up In Kids’ Cereal
It may seem bizarre, but pork gelatin from pig skin bones and connective tissues often winds up in cereals, especially ones with marshmallows. Gelatin provides that
- Chewy, gummy texture
- Binds ingredients together
- Controls moisture
- Lengthens shelf life
Since pork gelatin has no taste, food companies can slip it in without affecting the flavor. Unlike plant starches, it melts at body temp, giving Rice Krispies and Lucky Charms their signature mouthfeel.
While convenient for processing, pig-based gelatin prevents certain folks from enjoying these cereals. Let’s name the biggest porky perpetrators sneaking into your cereal bowl.
The Worst Offenders: Cereals Laced With Hidden Pork
After investigating the ingredients lists and contacting manufacturers, here are some of the top cereals that contain traces of pork gelatin:
- Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Ecto Cooler – Gelatin ghosts
- Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow – Marshmallow versions
- Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats Cereal – Marshmallow squares
- Kellogg’s Smorz – Marshmallow topping
- Kellogg’s Limited Edition Unicorn Cereal – Marshmallow stars
- General Mills Lucky Charms – Marshmallows
- Malt-O-Meal Marshmallow Mateys – Marshmallow puffs
- Post Waffle Crisp Cereal – May contain pork casing in waffle pieces
As you may notice, any cereal with marshmallows tends to harbor hidden hog parts. But some frosted cereals may also contain sneaky ingredients like bone char filtrated sugar.
Deciphering Deceptive Labels
To avoid pork gelatin when perusing the cereal aisles, be vigilant in checking labels. Look for these tricky ingredients:
- Gelatin – Obvious red flag for pork
- Natural Flavors – May contain pork-based glycerin
- Sugar – Could come from bone char processing
Call the 800 number on the box if you’re unsure about any components. Many brands will transparently answer questions about pork content if asked directly. When doubtful, grab another cereal variety you know is totally pig-free.
choosing Pig-Free Cereal Options
While it takes some extra reading, countless better breakfast options exist without nasty hidden pork:
- Hot cereals like oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, grits, and Malt-O-Meal
- Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Kashi
- Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Special K
- Granola cereals from Bear Naked, Kind, Kashi, Nature Valley
- Kid cereals like Kix, Puffed Rice, Rice Chex
With a little label-sleuthing, you can easily find morning cereals to enjoy that won’t secretly subject you to a porky surprise. Brands like Kashi, Barbara’s, and EnviroKidz cater to vegan and allergy-conscious eaters.
So next time you mosey down the cereal aisle, read on to avoid a piggy situation. Beware of marshmallows, whichcan impart an imperceptible meaty mouthfeel. Choose verified pork-free options so you can crunchat breakfast guilt-free.
Read labels carefully and contact manufacturers if unsure about sketchy ingredients. With lots of nutritious and delish alternatives, you needn’t settle for cereals trickily packed with hidden pork parts. Just become a choosy cereal selector and fill your bowl without filling it with hush-hush hog! Oink oink…keep that pig outta your cereal!
Explanation[edit]
This was the twenty-eighth comic originally posted to LiveJournal. The previous one was 26: Fourier, and the next one was 30: Donner.
Real breakfast cereals are usually made of grains and sweet flavorings. Randall makes fun of some real breakfast cereals by making versions that have meat in them. From top left to bottom right, the cereals that look like they’re being imitated are Froot Loops, Rice Krispies, Honey Bunches of Oats, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, and Cheerios. There does not appear to be a deeper meaning to this comic than that. The only slightly obscure reference is the Scrapple Jacks parody, which seems to be made with scrapple. According to Wikipedia, scrapple is a mush made of pork scraps and trimmings mixed with cornmeal, wheat flour (often buckwheat flour), and spices. In the 1980s and 1990s, Real Apple Jacks ran an ad campaign in which an adult or authority figure tried the cereal and said, “These don’t taste like apples!” This missed the point of why kids liked the cereal. The slogan is parodied on the Scrapple Jacks box. Randall referenced this same slogan again in “38: Apple Jacks”.
The title text apparently reflects Randalls opinion of his own creation.
Do marshmallows have pork?
FAQ
Do frosted flakes have pork?
Does Trix cereal have pork?
What products have pork in it?
Is there pork in Frosted Mini Wheats?
Do cereals contain pork?
Although it might seem surprising, some cereals contain traces of pork in the form of gelatin made from bones, cartilage, tendons and skin, as explained by CyberParent.com. Marshmallows are usually the culprit, and rarely, frosted cereals are a problem as well. A few cereals from Kellogg’s contain marshmallows made from pork gelatin.
What is an example of whole grain cereal?
A whole grain is the edible part of the grain, encompassing the bran, germ, and endosperm (the entire grain should be used intact). Grains are the seeds of plants called cereals. Examples of whole grain cereals are barley, bulgur, farro, millet, quinoa, black rice, brown rice, red rice.
Which Lucky Charms cereals contain pork?
They include all Lucky Charms cereals (General Mills): the original version of Chocolate Lucky Charms and any special holiday versions of the cereal. The Malt-O-Meal cereals Marshmallow Mateys, and Frosted Mini Spooners also contain pork.
What foods contain pork?
Surprising foods that contain pork include some bread, tortillas, donuts, and pudding with L-cysteine, which softens the dough. Gelatin from pork is also common in sugared cereals, candies, ice cream, and chewing gum, and is often used as a thickener or hardener. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.