Eggo waffles facing shortage until mid-2010
Dark days are coming for at-home American breakfasts.
Eggo waffles, a pillar of the frozen breakfast-food market, are disappearing from store shelves. That's because a summer flood at Kellogg's Atlanta factory and equipment problems at a Rossville, Tenn., plant have hampered production of the popular Eggo. And the shortage may last a while.
"Unfortunately, this is taking longer than anticipated," Kellogg said in a statement on its website. "Eggo is working around the clock to bring everyone's favorite waffles back to store shelves as quickly as possible. We hope to regain full distribution of Eggo products by the middle of 2010."
Seven months of Eggo rationing? That's a huge blow for frozen-waffle lovers, since Eggos command 73 percent of the market.
That may make room for breakfast muffins, already the fastest-growing of the $1.5 billion market for frozen breakfast foods. More than half of American households consume frozen waffles, pancakes, French toast, etc. Last year, the market grew 6 percent, double the usual annual growth and was on track to grow even more this year as families, pressed for time, still make efforts to eat at home.
First created by a San Jose, Calif., inventor, the Eggo was acquired by Kellogg in the 1970s. Along with Ore-Ida, Eggo is the most popular frozen-food brand, according to a Packaged Facts report.
In recent years, Kellogg has expanded its Eggo line, including Lego-shaped Eggos, and seen continued growth in its health-conscious waffle offering, the Nutri-Grain Eggo.
