Breakfast cereal in some markets, and steady and continued growth throughout its history. The number of different types of breakfast cereals in the U.S. has grown from 160 (1970) to 340 (1998) to 4,945 (2012). In this highly competitive market, breakfast cereal companies have developed cereals in an ever-increasing number of flavors. Although many plain wheat and oat based cereals exist, other flavors are sweet. Some of the most popular brands include freeze-dried fruit and others are flavored like dessert or candy. Cereal, oatmeal and porridge quickly became an important breakfast component in North America. Barley was a common grain used, though
Cereal Partners Worldwide based in Welwyn Garden City. Cereal Partners Worldwide Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A. is a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé, established in 1991 to produce breakfast cereals. The company is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and markets cereals in more than 130 countries (except for the U.S. and Canada, where General Mills markets the cereals directly). The company's cereals are sold under the Nestlé brand, although many originated from General Mills and some, such as Shredded Wheat and Shreddies, were once made by Nabisco. In Australia and New Zealand, some of CPW's products are sold under the Uncle Tobys brand.