General Mills jumps on K-Cup bandwagon with single-serve oatmeal
General Mills is selling single-serving cups of oatmeal that can be made with Keurig machines. Nature Valley Bistro Cups Oatmeal, available in apple cinnamon almond and brown sugar pecan varieties, are available through Amazon and at Sam's Clubs.
Each serving contains a packet of oatmeal, a separate packet of nuts and fruit and a flavor capsule that is mixed with the oats when hot water filters through the machine. Keurig was not involved in the rollout, and General Mills’ quick-to-market approach suggests it’s aware of the expiration date on such products.
Indeed, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters unveiled a new generation of its single-cup brewing system, dubbed Keurig 2.0, in November, in response to the slew of non-licensed K-Cups that began showing up on store shelves nationwide after patents on the original K-Cup technology expired in 2012. Keurig's new brewers employ “interactive readability” technology that is not compatible with K-Cups that aren't made by Green Mountain or its licensed partners.