They bought RXBar's 'no BS' brand. Then added fine print.
Every brand below is owned by Kellogg's / Kellanova. Highlighted rows are brands that specifically market themselves as natural, organic, wellness, or independent — the ones most likely to obscure their parent company.
These are documented cases where branding, packaging, or public messaging obscures the ownership relationship or ingredient reality.
RXBar's entire brand identity was built on anti-marketing. The original packaging listed ingredients in large type on the front: '3 Egg Whites. 6 Almonds. 4 Cashews. 2 Dates. No B.S.' It was a direct response to the supplement industry's opacity. Kellogg's acquired it in 2017 for $600 million. The packaging largely stayed the same. The 'No B.S.' tagline remained. What changed: the company writing the checks is the same one that makes Froot Loops, which contains Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 2 — all petroleum-derived dyes banned in several European countries.
Kashi was acquired in 2000 when it was still a small La Jolla, CA health food company. Post-acquisition, it maintained its hippie-adjacent branding — earth tones, whole grain promises, hiking imagery — while manufacturing shifted to Kellogg's facilities. In 2012, a grocery co-op in Connecticut discovered that Kashi's 'natural' products contained GMOs. Kellogg's admitted the claim was inaccurate by some definitions. The brand later pivoted to certified organic on select products.
MorningStar Farms has been Kellogg's since 1999. It operates a separate website, separate social presence, and separate visual identity entirely disconnected from Kellogg's. In 2019, Kellogg's announced plans to spin it off. In 2022, it sold MorningStar to Kellogg's own emerging brands unit. The confusion is structurally intentional — the brand communicates values its parent company doesn't share.
Post-acquisition formula changes are rarely announced. They appear in the ingredient panel — in 7pt type — long after the acquisition press release has been forgotten.
Kellogg's extended the RXBar line to include 'RXBar Kids' and 'RXBar Nut Butter.' These products introduced palm oil and added sugars not present in the original bars. The parent brand's 'No B.S.' framing was applied to these without modification.
Reformulated to reduce soy protein content and increase chicory root inulin (a cheaper fiber source). The protein count on the label stayed the same because inulin is counted as fiber, not protein — but the reformulation reduced complete protein per serving.
Shifted from whey protein isolate to a soy/wheat blend in several varieties without a redesign. The protein count per serving remained identical. The protein source change was disclosed only in the ingredients panel in sub-8pt font.