Shredded wheat is a breakfast cereal made from whole wheat. It comes in two sizes, bite sized (3⁄4 × 1 in), and full size, which may be broken into small pieces before milk is added.
Both sizes are available in a frosted variety, which has one side coated with sugar and usually gelatin. Some manufacturers have produced “filled” versions of the bite-size cereal containing a raisin at the center, or apricot or cranberry filling.
In the United States, shredded wheat is most heavily advertised and marketed by Post Cereals, which acquired the product in 1993 through its parent company, Kraft Foods, buying it from its long-time producer Nabisco. Kellogg’s sells eight varieties of miniature, or bite-sized, shredded wheat cereal. Natural and organic manufacturer Barbara’s Bakery makes an all-natural version of shredded wheat. In the United Kingdom, the Shredded Wheat brand is owned by Cereal Partners, a Nestle/General Mills company, although there are many generic versions and variants by different names. It was first made in the US in 1893, while UK production began in 1926.
“Never Eat Shredded Wheat” is a common childhood mnemonic for remembering the Cardinal Points on a compass.
Maxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. It is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennesee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently (ca. 2007) second behind Folgers, which is manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Co. The company recently unveiled its new slogan, “It’s A New Morning. Brew Some Good.” Part of the new slogan is also the URL of their new website, http://www.brewsomegood.com