Wonder

Research Outline

Prepared for Haim B. | Delivered August 3, 2019

Rice Krispies and Israel

Goals

To determine why Rice Krispies are not sold in Israel for the purposes of understanding how or if they can be imported.

Early Findings

According to Kellogg's website, only two of its products are sold in Israel, which are Special K and Pringles.
The Special K website for Israel is here.
The Pringles website for Israel is here.
It appears that Kellogg's Rice Krispies were sold in Israel until 2005, when a representative of Shimon Shestovich, the cereal's importers, confirmed reports that Rice Krispies had been discontinued in Israel. However, a reason for the move was not provided.
The notice of Rice Krispies' discontinuation appeared in the same article that announced that Cheerios would no longer be available in Israel.
The reason given for the discontinuation of Cheerios is that it did not have enough demand in Israel and was replaced by a "sugary alternative that, according to the importer, is more suited to the Israeli palate."
The Cheerios importer, Osem, stated the new product, a multi-grain version of the original with five times as much sugar per serving, "keeps the same great taste as the original, previous product, but adds four additional whole grains... The combination of taste and nutritional value creates a more attractive product for the whole family, which will suit both adults and children."
Another reason the product may have been discontinued is due to its high cost. In the past, Israel limited competition from imports to protect its local producers, which caused the price of imports to soar.
However, in 2016, a new policy, called the "Cornflakes Law," loosened restrictions on "imports of low health risk dry goods such as cereal, rice and pasta," which was expected to reduce import barriers and lower costs.
In 2013, a consumer living in Israel indicated they contacted either Kellogg's or Shimon Shestovich to ask why Rice Krispies had been discontinued in Israel and the company wrote back that "the cereal did not fit the market here, and thus deemed unprofitable."
According to another poster, there was a store in Beit Hanina called Jafar's Supermarket and Sweets that carried a large selection of American foods, including Kellogg's Rice Krispies. 
This store has a Facebook page, and as of November 2018, Kellogg's Rice Krispies were still available at the store.
 Kellogg's Corn Flakes are also available at Jafar's Supermarket and Sweets.
As such, it appears Kellogg's Rice Krispies can be personally imported to Israel, but Kellogg's would need to be contacted through its "Doing Business with Kellogg" web page.
Global suppliers must abide by the Global Supplier Code of Conduct, which is also available in a variety of languages. 