History
In October 1971, the first two cereals in the line were introduced, Count Chocula (originally called "Dr. Count Chocula") and the strawberry-flavored Franken Berry. In February 1972, Franken Berry cereal included dye that turned some children's feces pink due to an inability to break down the heavily dyed breakfast food, a symptom sometimes referred to as "Frankenberry Stool."
[4][5][6] Boo Berry, reputedly the first blueberry-flavored cereal,
[7] was released in 1973, and Fruit Brute the following year. Fruit Brute was discontinued by 1984 and replaced in 1987 by Fruity Yummy Mummy, which also had a short life as it was discontinued in 1993.
[8]
Since 2010, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula cereals are manufactured and sold only for a few months during the autumn/Halloween season in September and October. These cereals are not made and sold the rest of the year.
[9][10] As of late 2010, information such as nutrition data and historical factoids can still be found on the official General Mills website at all times of the year.
[7]
In August 2013, it was revealed on Dinosaur Dracula that for the first time in history,
General Mills was releasing all five monster cereals for purchase during the Halloween season. Both Fruit Brute, which was being released for the first time in 29 years and Fruity Yummy Mummy, which was being released for the first time in 20 years, would also receive updated packaging like the other cereals. Additionally, it was revealed on
I-Mockery that special retro edition boxes of all five cereals with their original packaging art would be sold exclusively at
Target.
[11]
Beginning in 2010, General Mills introduced Count Chocula cereal bars
[12] and
Betty Crocker has released Franken Berry and Boo Berry
Fruit Roll-Ups. Those products are also released seasonally like the cereals.
[13]
These are awesome
