Breakfast cereal is manufactured by Adventist health-food factory in Australia.
Celebrating the 90-year milestone of Weet-Bix cereal production, Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing executive general manager Todd Saunders said while much has changed since 1928, one thing has remained constant — families just want breakfast to be simple.
“It’s what Weet-Bix has championed for the last 90 years — uncomplicated, affordable, and tasty nutrition,” he said. “And it’s why, nine decades later, Weet-Bix remains a firm favorite in the breakfast aisle with a box in almost half of all Australian homes.”
Weet-Bix kids’ TRY-athlons attract thousands of participants each year. [Photo: Adventist Record]
Cereal box from around 1930. Weet-Bix was first manufactured in October 1928. [Photo: Adventist Record]
While the original Weet-Bix recipe remains 97 percent whole grain, low in sugar, high in iron, and a source of natural fiber, the brand has evolved in response to breakfast trends, dietary requirements, and population health challenges.
In 2014 Sanitarium introduced Gluten Free Weet-Bix, made from sorghum instead of wheat, catering for celiac and gluten-sensitive consumers. Two years later, Weet-Bix Cholesterol Lowering was launched, the first cereal in Australia to include the Heart Foundation’s recommended 2 grams of plant sterols per serving. In recognition of this innovation, Weet-Bix Cholesterol Lowering was named Australian Healthy Food Guide’s 2017 Product of the Year.
For six consecutive years, Weet-Bix has been voted the Most Trusted Breakfast Food in Australia in the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey, while “Aussie kids are Weet-Bix kids” has become one of the most memorable jingles in Australia since it launched in 1985.
“It’s always been our mission to help Australians enjoy good health and wellbeing,” Saunders said. “That’s why we’re constantly looking for new and innovative ways to ensure Weet-Bix can be enjoyed by every Australian and how our foods can play a role in helping address some of our modern-day health challenges.
“Being with Aussie families at breakfast every morning is an incredible honor, but we also see it as our responsibility to help ensure they’re getting the best start to their day. Everyone at Sanitarium shares that sense of commitment and passion for Weet-Bix and what it stands for, and I like to think that’s what makes us unique.”
2018 is a big year for Sanitarium, which is also celebrating its 120th birthday and the 21st birthday of UP&GO. In celebration of Weet-Bix’s 90th birthday, the company has released a limited-edition collection of Weet-Bix birthday boxes featuring 58 of today’s most popular Australian names. From Zoe and Sam to Ruby and Oliver, and even Mom and Dad, the distinctive birthday boxes can be found on supermarket shelves while stocks last.
