Why was Grape Nuts cereal missing from store shelves for so long?

Okay, we’ll be honest: Grape Nuts cereal drama was not on our 2021 bingo card. After dire shortage of the brand on supermarket shelves throughout the pandemic, some representatives have happily announced that Grape Nuts cereal is back with a vengeance. Here’s everything we know about the new update.

Initial shortage

In January, The New York Times reported a mega-shortage of Grape Nuts products. The cereal company’s brand manager, Kristin DeRock, made a statement about the unfortunate circumstances. “Grape-Nuts is made using a proprietary technology and a production process that isn’t easily replicated, which has made it more difficult to shift production to meet demand during this time.”

DeRock promised customers they were doing everything they could to get these products back on the shelves, but for some, this wasn’t enough. A number of people turned to the internet to quench their desires, and the results were nothing short of terrifying.

On Amazon, one pack of four boxes, was sold for a whopping $59.99. Keep in mind: one box of Grape Nuts usually goes for $4.99. And that’s not even the worst of it. On eBay, a two box set was sold for $55. On Walmart.com, a larger box went for $110. 

Back in business

Kristen DeRock recently made a statement telling everyone they can finally relax again: Grape-Nuts Cereal is back with a vengeance. She also commented on the crazy prices people paid for the product during the shortage. “It became abundantly clear during the shortage that Grape-Nuts fans are ‘Nuts for Grape-Nuts,’” she said.

“So much so that some of our loyal fans were willing to pay extreme prices just to ensure they wouldn’t be without their favorite crunchy cereal. As a way to show our appreciation and thank these fans for their dedication, we want to repay the love by reimbursing them.”

People can get their reimbursements through Post Consumer Brand’s website if they file by April 15th. Grape Nuts is only dishing out $10,000 in damages, though, so it’s possible not everyone will get their cash back.

Grape Nuts skeptics

While Grape Nuts clearly has a lot of dedicated fans out there, some people were shocked to see there was such a crisis when the products went out of stock. One person tweeted: “Grape nuts being sold on the black market is a string of words I never thought would coexist together.”

Another wrote: “So y’all were addicted to GRAPE NUTS?” While another gave the cereal a scathing review, writing: “Grape Nuts is just cat litter in a cereal box.” One person added: “Just when I think there might be some hope for society I see this,” and another Twitter user basically summed it up, writing: “Whoever bought grape nuts on the black market needs to explain yourself.”

Brief history of Grape Nuts

Believe it or not, Grape Nuts, a breakfast cereal made from salt, flour, and dried yeast, has a pretty rich and surprising history. In 1933, the brand sponsored explorer Sir Admiral Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica, during which the first ever two-way radio transmission occurred. It was an iconic and historic moment and was made possible because of the now-famous cereal brand.

And this occasion wasn’t the only time Grape Nuts helped people out. During World War II, the cereal was included in the Allied Forces jungle rations. And finally, in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay brought Grape Nuts on their venture up Mount Everest. They ultimately became the first to make it all the way to the top, and we like to believe they couldn’t have done it without their crunchy cereal.