The chief executive of cereal company Kelloggs has suggested that Americans should start eating cereal for dinner to save money and combat rising food prices.
Gary Pilnick, who has been with the company since 2000 but only became chief executive in October, acknowledged how people were under financial pressure and inflation was causing supermarket prices to soar.
But instead of offering meaningful money-saving tips, Pilnick, who earns a salary of $5 million a year, promoted his own product and suggested customers consume more, at any time of the day or night.
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” said the cereal company’s CEO.
Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick, who makes $5 million a year, suggested that Americans should combat rising food prices by eating cornflakes for dinner.
Kelloggs’ CEO suggested customers eat more cereal, at any time of the day or night, if they have difficulty affording other types of foods.
Pilnick suggested Americans should combat rising food prices by eating cornflakes for dinner (file photo)
Pilnick has been with the company since 2000, but did not become CEO until October 2023.
“If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they could do otherwise, it will be much more affordable,” Pilnick said, saying it could help a “consumer under pressure” because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and fruit ‘costs less than a dollar.’
When asked if Kellogs’ messages had the potential to “land on the wrong path,” Pilnick said he didn’t feel it was a problem.
‘It’s landing very well at the moment. It turns out that more than 25 percent of our consumption occurs outside of breakfast. A lot of it is during dinner. And that occasion continues to grow,’ he said. CNBC.
‘We talk about making sure we have the right package at the right price in the right place. So having a different size package that will be priced differently will take some of the pressure off the consumer while shopping.
Many on social media suggested he was out of touch with the financial struggles of ordinary people, with more than 11 percent of disposable income going to food.
‘But in general, the cereal category is a place that a lot of people can go to because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and fruit is less than a dollar. So you can imagine why a consumer under pressure might find that a good place to turn.’
Pilnick’s tone-deaf suggestions fell like a bowl of dry cereal on social media, with many suggesting he was out of touch with the financial struggles of ordinary people, as more than 11 percent of disposable income goes toward food.
‘Greed is forcing families to make decisions like eating cereal for dinner to save money. Kellogg’s CEO brags about it as he shows off the huge increase in corporate profits that helped create the problem in the first place. “Fuck this shit,” Evan Sutton wrote in X.
‘In the meantime, he eats at 5-star restaurants every night and, when not, his personal chef prepares dinner for him. Absolutely disgusting. Eat. The. Rico, added another.
Pilnick has not commented further on his cornflake dinner, but defended his suggestion during his original interview by citing non-breakfast cereal consumption as a “growing trend” and one he hopes will continue.
‘Many people occasionally have cereal for dinner because it’s quick and easy or to satisfy a craving. That’s one thing. But to suggest that people opt for cereal for dinner to save money because rising food prices are squeezing families is simply off-base, absurd, and cruel coming from someone who is rich for selling overpriced foods. The level of arrogance is not surprising, but it is disgusting,” wrote Alyssa Strickland.
Peasants don’t eat dinner! “Let them eat cereal.” says Kellogg,’ Gregory Gerner said.
‘Wasn’t it Marie Antoinette who said, when she was informed that the peasants in France were starving: ‘Well, then, let them eat cereal’? “We all know how that turned out,” added another.
‘I’m sorry, but who and what CEO would have the confidence to say something like this? I’m 30-something and cereal for dinner is not nutritious. “Low earners do this for something and not for nothing,” Kang Kim wrote.
‘People: we don’t eat dinner, we’re starving
CEO: then you only eat cereals
People: but they are expensive.
CEO: We hear you! We are making the packages smaller, so they cost less <3', paraphrased Dominic Pascal.
Although Pilnick has not commented further on his cornflake dinner, he defended his suggestion during his original interview by citing non-breakfast cereal consumption as a growing trend and one he hopes will continue.