Kellogg's Milk Carton Package Stresses Cereal's High Calcium Content

In introducing its new Special K Plus cereal, which reportedly features more calcium than any other national cereal brand, Kellogg Co. (Battle Creek, MI) has demonstrated "out of the box" thinking — out of the traditional cereal box, that is.

To emphasize to consumers its high-calcium content, the product's package resembles a half-gallon milk carton.

Described by the company as a flavorful mix of multi-grain flakes, raisins, dates and almonds, the calcium-fortified cereal, introduced in August, is aimed primarily at meeting the nutritional needs of women. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there is a significant nutrition deficiency in America. More than 90% of women (ages 19+) do not meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium, over 60% of these women do not meet the RDA for iron, and more than 90% have folic acid intakes below the RDA.

Specifically created to help women supplement this nutritional shortcoming, Special K Plus offers 60% daily value of calcium, 90% daily value of iron, and 100% daily value of folic acid and vitamin B12. Even without milk, a serving of Special K Plus, says Kellogg, has the calcium equivalent of two glasses of milk. Thus the clever, non-traditional cereal package stresses the calcium-enriched message.

The half-gallon size "milk carton" package holds 15-oz (425-g) of cereal, the same amount as a standard-size 15-oz Kellogg's bag-in-box cereal carton. The gable-top-style package features a proprietary transparent barrier coating laminated to the inside of the container. This coating eliminates the need for a separate bag liner, thus no bag is used inside the box. A plastic clip slides over the carton's pour spout to provide recloseability to ensure product freshness.

Available nationwide in supermarkets and retail stores, the low-fat cereal also consists of whole wheat, corn and rice flakes in addition to the raisins, dates and almonds. A one-cup serving contains 210 calories with 2.0-g of fat and 3.0-g of dietary fiber.

Kellogg says that there is a "small, incremental cost increase" in using the new package compared to traditional bag-in-box packaging, however it believes the product's uniqueness and appeal will drive sales to more than compensate for the extra packaging cost. Kellogg is not passing any cost increase onto consumers, as Special K Plus cereal's suggested retail price of $3.79 is the same as the Special K brand.

Edited by Bill Noone