Rice Krispies 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, Rice Krispies was owned by Kellanova to 2023.[2]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Rice Krispies launched in 1928, made by cooking rice grains so they collapse and then puff, leaving thin walls that crackle when milk is added. Snap, Crackle and Pop first appeared in the 1930s, and the marshmallow treat recipe printed on the box in 1939 became a fixture of American home baking.
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, Rice Krispies 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 Rice Krispies is Ferrero, a family-owned company headquartered in Italy. Rice Krispies sits under Ferrero's subsidiary WK Kellogg Co.
Is Rice Krispies American or Italian?
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Rice Krispies originated in the United States in 1928, but it is owned today by Ferrero, which is headquartered in Italy. So Rice Krispies is an American-origin brand under Italian ownership.
Since when has WK Kellogg Co owned Rice Krispies?
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WK Kellogg Co has owned Rice Krispies since 2 October 2023. Ferrero has held WK Kellogg Co since 26 September 2025.
Who owned Rice Krispies before Ferrero?
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Before Ferrero, Rice Krispies was owned by Kellanova until 2023.
Is Rice Krispies still owned by Ferrero?
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Yes. As of 25 September 2026, Rice Krispies 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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