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
Mr. T Cereal Mr. T Cereal Mr. T Cereal was a sweetened breakfast cereal manufactured by the Quaker Oats Company. The cereal was prepared with corn and oats as primary ingredients, and was fortified with iron and B vitamins. The cereal box had a cartoon likeness of Mr. T on the box as the cereal's mascot. The cereal was manufactured in the shape of the letter "T". It has been described as being similar in flavor to Cap'n Crunch cereal. Mr. T Cereal debuted in 1984 and was a popular cereal in the U.S. during the 1980s. The cereal was the first licensed