Are Froot Loops Really Different Flavors?

If you grew up in the United States, you can probably guess what flavor a brightly-colored sugary treat might be. Purple is usually grape, green might be lime, red could be cherry or strawberry, and orange is typically, well, orange. This flavor trend is mostly universal across all sorts of sweets, such as American Smarties and Jolly Ranchers (which we ranked from worst to best in terms of flavor). One might think this trend would also apply to Froot Loops, a nostalgic breakfast staple for millions of Americans. But surprisingly, each ring of cereal has the same flavor.

In each box of Froot Loops cereal, there are six colors of rings, each representing a color of the rainbow. Unfortunately, despite this colorful feast for the eyes, blind taste tests have revealed that no matter what color Froot Loop you eat, you'll always get the same flavor with each bite. Kellogg's (the company behind the cereal) even confirmed this factoid in an interview with Straight Dope back in 1999, saying that the cereal's flavor has remained constant since 1963. 

But what flavor is this exactly? According to the Kellogg's website, Froot Loops are "packed with delicious fruity taste and aroma," which doesn't narrow things down much. While nothing has been officially confirmed, some have theorized that the iconic Froot Loops flavor is actually a blend of several fruit flavors, including blueberry, orange, apple, cherry, lemon, lime, and raspberry.

Froot Loops might have a deliciously-fruity flavor, but does it actually contain real fruit? The short answer is maybe, but probably not. The cereal's ingredients list uses the vague term of "natural flavors," which actually means refers to roasted or heated ingredients derived from nature, such as fruits, vegetables, or roots. While this sounds promising, the Kellogg's company hasn't publicly disclosed where the cereal's specific flavors are sourced from. So, while it's possible that the cereal's flavor could come from real fruit, we aren't sure if it's actually made of other natural compounds, and specifically designed to mimic the flavors of real fruit. And even if the "natural flavors" used in the recipe are derived from real fruits, the final product only contains the essence of the produce, not its nutritional content.

In the past, Kellogg's has faced several lawsuits over the fruity cereal not containing any real fruit, though all of these cases have all been dismissed. The judges argued that because the cereal is called "Froot" Loops (not "Fruit" Loops) and the cereal pieces don't actually look like produce, it's unreasonable to expect real fruit in the product. Of course, with Froot Loops, the only thing that matters is adding some sugary nostalgia to your breakfast table. Or, for a quick-and-easy homemade snack, it's one of the best cereal swaps for Rice Krispies treats.