Chex

File:Shredded Ralston.jpg

Chex cereal traces its lineage back to Shredded Ralston, which was first produced in 1936. One 1936 grocery store advertisement for the cereal described it as, "ready to eat, made from pure whole wheat . . . Cooked, shredded, and toasted to a delicious golden brown; new in flavor."{{Cite news|date=22 October 1936|title=Advertisement|page=6|work=Clinton Daily Journal and Public}} Bite-sized Shredded Ralston was described in one early promotional article as whole wheat that had been "shredded and baked into crisp-bite-size biscuits."{{Cite news|date=16 July 1942|title=Victory Breakfast|page=4|work=Sioux City Journal}}  In addition to being recommended as a breakfast cereal, it was suggested as soup croutons, a snack with melted butter, and as the heart of a homemade candy flavored with honey and lemon.

One of the early distinctive characteristics of Chex was its shape. When Rice Chex was introduced in 1950,{{Cite news|date=21 September 1950|title=Advertisement|page=15|work=The Winona Republican-Herald}} one advertisement described it as, "Golden-toasted shreds of rice, crisscrossed into hollow, Bit Size waffles.  Shaped just right for easy eating."{{Cite news|date=24 August 1950|title=Advertisement.|page=22|work=Battle Creek Enquirer.}} In 1951, Shredded Ralston was rebranded as Wheat Chex, initially stating "We are changing the name of Shredded Ralston to Shredded Ralston Wheat Chex,"{{Cite news|date=22 April 1951|title=Advertisement|page=105|work=The Spokesman-Review}} but often using both the short name and the longer name within the same ad copy.{{Cite news|date=15 July 1951|title=Advertisement|page=173|work=Daily News|location=New York, New York}} Side by side photos in the early 1950s show that the shape of Wheat Chex was not yet changed to the waffle-shape of Rice Chex, retaining its denser, biscuit-like form.{{Cite news|date=14 Dec 1952|title=Advertisement|page=93|work=The Pittsburgh Press}} When Corn Chex was released in 1959, it was given the Rice Check "criss-crossed" shape, described as helping it stay crispy in milk.{{Cite news|date=16 April 1959|title=Advertisement|page=26|work=The Roberts News|location=Los Angeles, California}}{{Cite news|date=27 January 1960|title=Advertisement|page=19|work=The Times Dispatch|location=Richmond, Virginia}}

When Ralcorp sold the Chex Brand to General Mills, the Federal Trade Commission required General Mills to permit the production of private label (store brand) versions of Chex, including by Ralcorp itself.{{Cite news|date=27 December 1996|title=U.S. clears cereal deal|page=24|work=The Journal News|location=White Plains, New York}}{{Cite news|date=27 Dec 1996|title=General Mills munches Chex, with federal OK|page=23|work=Record-Journal|location=Meriden, Connecticut}}

• Rice Chex (introduced in 1950)
• Wheat Chex (introduced in 1951, 1936 as "Shredded Ralston")
• Corn Chex (introduced throughout the United States in 1959 after limited distribution in 1958{{Cite news|date=23 November 1958|title=Corn Chex is New Bite-Sized Cereal|page=20|work=Battle Creek Enquirer}})
• Honey Nut Chex (introduced in 1998 as the first General Mills addition to the Chex brand){{Cite news|last=Merrill|first=Ann|date=3 June 1998|title=Chex mate: General Mills will introduce new cereal|page=45|work=Star Tribune|location=Minneapolis, Minnesota}}
• Chocolate Chex
• Cinnamon Chex
• Blueberry Chex
• Peanut Butter Chex
• Strawberry Vanilla (introduced in 2024)

Source:{{Cite web|url=https://www.chex.com/products|title=Chex products|language=en-US}}

• Raisin Bran Chex{{cite web|url=http://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=1367|title=Raisin Bran Chex Cereal - MrBreakfast.com|publisher=}} (introduced into wide distribution in 1968){{Cite news|date=27 October 1968|title=Want a Bran New Shape?|page=44|work=The Montgomery Advertiser}}
• Sugar Frosted Chex (released throughout the United States in 1969){{Cite news|date=27 July 1969|title=Advertisement|page=2|work=The Salt Lake Tribune}}
• Sugar Chex[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVq224TUEj0 Casper the Friendly Ghost–Sugar Chex cereal commercial, YouTube]
• Super Sugar Chex{{Cite news|last=Weiershauser|first=Helen|date=22 April 1978|title=Will all the junk food junkies please stand up?|page=3|work=The Muscatine Journal}}
• Oat Chex
• Bran Chex (introduced in 1977){{Cite news|date=12 June 1977|title=Advertisement|page=154|work=The Spokesman-Review}}
• Double Chex
• Wheat & Raisin Chex
• Graham Chex
• Honey Graham Chex
• Frosted Mini-Chex
• Strawberry Chex
• Multi-Bran Chex
• Green Onion Chex (limited edition, released by Kellogg's in South Korea in 2020){{Cite web|date=30 June 2020|title=Kellogg's Gets Experimental With Green Onion Flavored Chex Cereal|url=https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/kelloggs-green-onion-chex-cereal-release|url-status=live|access-date=29 July 2021|website=HypeBeast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701224704/https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/kelloggs-green-onion-chex-cereal-release |archive-date=2020-07-01 }}
• Vanilla Chex
• Apple Cinnamon Chex

Source:

In its early days, Shredded Ralston (what became Wheat Chex) was promoted as a cereal for the whole family. One common 1937 advertisement said, "Its flavor knows no limits," and then proceeded to explain with six-year old Bobby and older family members all had a different reason to enjoy the cereal.{{Cite news|date=13 March 1937|title=Advertisement|page=5|work=The Tampa Tribune}} By 1939, Ralston Purina had begun hoping to entice customers with box-top giveaways, such as a pen and pencil set that was still aimed at the whole family.{{Cite news|date=19 March 1939|title=Advertisement|page=90|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer}} By 1941, however, while their advertising still hoped to entice mothers and wives, the promotions had begun to be aimed at children, such as Tom Mix comic book give-aways.{{Cite news|date=6 April 1941|title=Dumb Dora: She's Not So Dumb|page=59|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram}} By 1951, Rice Chex and Wheat Chex were tied up with prized and box-top giveaways squarely aimed at children, such as ripcord helicopter toys.{{Cite news|date=30 September 1951|title=Advertisement|page=8|work=The Akron Beacon Journal}}

Ralston Purina attempted to redefine the Chex brand in 1956 by running copy on cereal boxes and in some newspapers which declared that they would no longer be putting prizes inside the boxes or targeting children: "This box contains 12 ounces of crunchable, munchable Wheat Chex - the only cereal made on purpose for Grownups."{{Cite news|date=23 March 1956|title=Look Ma, No Premiums|page=11|work=The Lincoln Star}}

Even so, later ad campaigns for Chex varieties were not so restrained: "Now in every box of Sugar Frosted Chex, you can get one of nine different prizes.  Kids will love the secret agent ring or invisible spy pen..."{{Cite news|date=18 May 1969|title=Advertisement|page=103|work=Arizona Republic}}

The 1970s varieties Sugar Chex and Super Sugar Chex featured Casper the Friendly Ghost on the box.{{Cite web|title=Super Sugar Chex|url=https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=1306|url-status=live|access-date=30 July 2021|website=Mr. Breakfast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223065634/http://www.mrbreakfast.com:80/cereal_detail.asp?id=1306 |archive-date=2009-12-23 }}{{Cite web|title=Sugar Chex|url=https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=349|url-status=live|access-date=30 July 2021|website=Mr. Breakfast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201075142/http://www.mrbreakfast.com:80/cereal_detail.asp?id=349 |archive-date=2009-12-01 }}

During the 1930s, Ralston Purina sponsored the Tom Mix radio show, produced Tom Mix comic books and give-aways, and promoted Shredded Ralston (what became Wheat Chex) as, "the Tom Mix Bite Size cereal that's rich in 'Cowboy Energy.'"{{Cite news|date=16 April 1950|title=Advertisement|page=181|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}

From 1950 to 1955, Chex served as the primary sponsor of the popular TV and radio show Space Patrol, which ran for over 1,000 television episodes and 129 radio episodes. These episodes included many advertisements, promotional offers, and prizes related to Chex cereal, specifically Wheat Chex and Rice Chex.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a5dYWQd4TM 1953 Space Patrol Chex Cereal Commercial, Ed Kemmer, YouTube]

In 1968, Chex ran a series of TV commercials on the adventures of The Chexmates, a cartoon threesome who ate Chex to get the strength they needed to travel to Mars, overcome tough obstacles or subdue evil-doers. The characters were a muscular man named Chexter, an Asian karate expert named Chop Louie, and a blonde cowgirl named Jessie Jane. Their voices were provided by John Erwin, Tommy Cook and Julie Bennett.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUUqTx-DoKQ The Chexmates commercial, YouTube][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7u-p_FvWm4 Ralston Purina Chex with The Chexmates, YouTube][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZb8cC6Kn54 Chexmates TV Commercial, YouTube]

Chex is featured in a series of first-person shooter computer games (Chex Quest, Chex Quest 2, and Chex Quest 3) in which the player takes on the role of a Chex Warrior clad in Chex Armor. The games use a modified version of DOOM's IWAD (graphics, sounds, levels, etc.) and executable.

{{main|Chex Mix}}

Chex is also the basis for a baked snack called "Chex Mix", in which different kinds of Chex are mixed with nuts, pretzels, and baked crackers,{{cite book|last=Machlin|first=S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCMskYrWKVMC&pg=PA129|title=American Food by the Decades|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2011|isbn=978-0-313-37699-3|page=129}} and then often baked again with butter and various other spices (Worcestershire sauce in the original mix) to add flavor. Commercial and homemade varieties exist and the snack is often served during the holiday season in the United States. Chex Mix recipes were regularly featured on Chex cereal boxes, and several varieties of commercially prepared Chex Mix are sold in supermarkets.

Chex can also be used to make a chocolate snack called "Chex Muddy Buddies", also known as Puppy Chow.

{{portal|Food}}

• List of breakfast cereals
• Life (cereal)
• Crispix - previously called "Chex" in New Zealand{{cite web | url=http://kelloggs.com.au/DisplayPage.asp?BrandID=13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030502234818/http://kelloggs.com.au/DisplayPage.asp?BrandID=13 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2 May 2003 | title=Archived Kellogg's page discussing their Crispix/Chex brands in Australia and New Zealand. | publisher=Kellogg's | date=22 March 2003 | access-date=14 September 2015}}
• Shreddies

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.chex.com/ Chex home page]
• US Patents
• Method of making cereal food products (USTPO link:{{US patent|2338588|src=uspto}}) (Google link:{{US patent|2338588}})
• Method for manufacture of cereal food products (USTPO link:{{US patent|2600532|src=uspto}}) (Google link:{{US patent|2600532}})
• Apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product (USTPO link:{{US patent|2743685|src=uspto}}) (Google link:{{US patent|2743685}})

{{General Mills}}

Category:Products introduced in 1936

Category:General Mills cereals

Category:Ralston cereals

Category:American brands