Frosted Flakes is owned by Ferrero (Italy) through its subsidiary WK Kellogg Co, which was separated from Kellanova on 2 October 2023.[1] Before WK Kellogg Co, Frosted Flakes was owned by Kellanova to 2023.[2]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Frosted Flakes launched in 1952 with Tony the Tiger, chosen over a kangaroo, an elephant and a gnu in the original mascot selection. It is sold as Frosties in the United Kingdom and much of Europe. WK Kellogg Co holds it in North America and Kellanova elsewhere.
Ferrero is a family-owned company headquartered in Alba, Italy, founded in 1946. Brandtree records 23 brands under its control.
Ferrero was founded by pastry maker Pietro Ferrero in Alba, Piedmont in 1946, where wartime cocoa shortages led him to stretch chocolate with local hazelnuts. It remains family-owned through a Luxembourg holding company and has expanded into American biscuits and ice cream by acquisition.
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States.
478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, Frosted Flakes among them.
Ferrero bought all of WK Kellogg Co for $23.00 a share in cash, a total enterprise value of $3.1 billion, completing the deal on 26 September 2025 a week after WK Kellogg shareowners approved it. WK Kellogg Co became a wholly owned subsidiary and left the New York Stock Exchange, so the North American rights to Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies now sit with an Italian family-owned group while Kellanova, owned by Mars, holds the same cereals elsewhere.
The Kellogg Company split into two listed companies: the global snacking business renamed itself Kellanova and kept Pringles and the international cereal brands, while the North American cereal business was spun off as WK Kellogg Co with the Battle Creek headquarters.
The parent company of Frosted Flakes is Ferrero, a family-owned company headquartered in Italy. Frosted Flakes sits under Ferrero's subsidiary WK Kellogg Co.
Is Frosted Flakes American or Italian?
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Frosted Flakes originated in the United States in 1952, but it is owned today by Ferrero, which is headquartered in Italy. So Frosted Flakes is an American-origin brand under Italian ownership.
Since when has WK Kellogg Co owned Frosted Flakes?
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WK Kellogg Co has owned Frosted Flakes since 2 October 2023. Ferrero has held WK Kellogg Co since 26 September 2025.
Who owned Frosted Flakes before Ferrero?
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Before Ferrero, Frosted Flakes was owned by Kellanova until 2023.
Is Frosted Flakes still owned by Ferrero?
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Yes. As of 25 September 2026, Frosted Flakes is still owned by Ferrero. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (5) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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