Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Wk Kellogg
Search every verified Gary Pilnick interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Gary Pilnick, chairman and CEO of WK Kellogg, has drawn attention for comments made during media appearances in 2024. In February, during an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," Pilnick suggested that families facing financial pressure could consider cereal for dinner, stating that "the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and with fruit is less than a dollar" and that the company was "advertising about cereal for dinner." He noted that over 25% of cereal consumption occurs outside of breakfast, with dinner being a growing occasion. The remarks generated criticism on social media, with some users characterizing the suggestion as out of touch with the economic realities of households struggling with rising grocery prices. In later appearances, Pilnick addressed other topics, including the company's use of artificial food dyes. He stated that the FDA had not evaluated the safety of Red 40 in over a decade, and that Kellogg's had previously removed and then reinstated artificial dyes in Froot Loops after sales declined. He said the company had vowed to remove artificial dyes and preservatives from U.S. cereals by 2018 but had not done so, attributing the decision to consumer preferences for "more vibrant colors." Pilnick also discussed WK Kellogg's spin-off from Kellanova, describing the company's singular focus on cereal and a plan to invest $450 to $500 million to modernize its supply chain.
“At Kellogg's, we're always in the news. The idea of having cereal for dinner—there's potential for that to land the wrong way, but we don't think so. In fact, it's landing really well right now; it's the power of our brand.”
“Moms in particular are in charge of Kellogg's; we're not effing around anymore. Sometimes you'd rather not be in the news, but we would take it because it's the power of our company and the brand and what it stands for.”
“We've always had strong relationships with our elected officials, with our regulators, with the government. This is state senator Johnathan Lindsay, and we've got a few other elected officials we were hoping we could come in and have a conversation to give the headshake that our food is safe.”
“The FDA has not evaluated the safety of Red 40 in over a decade. The reason why we use colors in our food is because we know it's safe. Food companies have found in focus groups that children will eat more of their product with an artificial dye because it's more attractive and appealing.”
“Advocates want the company to remove artificial food dyes and preservatives from cereals like Froot Loops, something Kellogg's vowed to do in US cereals by 2018 but never did. So you get a sense of who we are and how we operate.”
“In some locations, consumers preferred the more natural colors; in another location, they said no, we want the more vibrant colors. That's what we did. When the dyes that make Froot Loops bright were taken out, sales went straight down, and when they were put back in, sales recovered.”
“We know how to make the food if we were going to go to natural colors across the board, but that's not what the signals we were getting from our consumers were. Clear signals we were getting: no more dyes, no more dyes, no more dyes.”
“I emphasized the cost-effectiveness of cereal for families, especially in comparison to other dining options, asserting that a bowl of cereal with milk and fruit costs less than a dollar.”
“Over 25% of cereal consumption occurs outside of breakfast, with many opting for cereal at dinner.”
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure. Some of the things we're doing is first messaging; we got to reach the consumer where they are, so we're advertising about cereal for dinner.”
“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. In general, 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.”
“You can imagine why a consumer under pressure might find cereal to be a good place to go.”
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure.”
“We're advertising about cereal for dinner; 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.”
“We talk about making sure we have the right pack at the right price in the right place, having a different size pack that'll have a different price point that'll take some pressure off the consumer while they're shopping.”
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