Trader Joe’s Shoppers Complain About Cereal Quality: ‘Tastes Noticeably Different’ And ‘Looks Like Mealworms’

There’s nothing quite like the disappointment of realizing that one of your favorite grocery items has undergone a formula change or declined in quality (except maybe the disappointment of your favorite item being discontinued altogether—RIP When Life Gives You Lemons Ice Cream). Some Trader Joe’s shoppers on Reddit are speculating that such is the case with TJ’s High Fiber cereal.

Not only do customers claim that this cereal looks different from before (and quite unappetizing at that), but they’re also saying the taste has changed. Find all of the details—including a few potential reasons for these changes—below.

Not every item at Trader Joe’s can be amazing. Some are bound to be disappointing—and it can be especially disappointing to notice a change in quality. A Reddit post titled “High Fiber Cereal different from before” has sparked a lively discussion among shoppers who have noticed significant disparities in the quality and taste of Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal.

“Is it just me or has trader joe’s changed this product drastically?” wrote the poster. “The new version is a lot more brittle, visually different (looks more similar to mealworms now), and tastes noticeably different. The biggest issue is the texture, where before it was a lot denser compared to now where it’s more similar to a rice cake.” The user noted that they bought the cereal in California.

Accompanying the post is a photo of the cereal in its clear bag. And, to be honest, it does indeed look like mealworms. Much of the discussion in the Reddit thread revolves around the cereal’s unappealing appearance, with comments making jokes like:

“this doesn’t look like food”

“This looks like some sort of animal food. Like a weird rodent pet or whatever- not human food or some natural kitty litter.”

“People actually eat this?? This looks like what you use to line hamster cages.”