Dear Straight Dope: Oh grand geniuses, does your seemingly infinite wisdom stretch to the realm of breakfast cereals????? We must know, are the separate colors of Fruit Loops different flavors as well????? Thank you for extending your greatness to we of little mind. Seeking cereal in Spokane

SDStaffVegForLife replies:

Becky, thank you for following your nose to The Straight Dope. Our expertise here does, in fact, stretch into the realm of breakfast cereals. Perhaps I should add: !!!!!

Back in 1963, a new cereal was introduced called “Kellogg’s® Froot Loops®.” On the box, right from the start, was a colorful tropical bird with a very large beak wearing a towering hat of fruit. His name, of course, was and always will be Toucan Sam(TM). Over the years his looks have changed: his nose started out large, it got trimmed, then it got fuller again. His plumage started out grey, blue and white, and now he’s all blue. He’s also lost the hat. But he’s been the spokescharacter for Froot Loops all along, occasionally even inviting his diapered nieces and nephews onto commercials, and onto the package once in 1964 (as you may have guessed, toucans don’t wear diapers when they’re small, but this is the world of breakfast cereals, where anything goes).

The spokescharacter for the cereal isn’t the only thing that’s remained constant since the introduction of Froot Loops in 1963. The flavor has as well. And that’s singular. According to Kellogg’s, all of those delectable loops are flavored the same.

Although I’ll take the company’s word on this, you’ve inspired me, and I plan on conducting a taste test very soon.

SDStaff VegForLife

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