Tropicana Is Expanding Its Breakfast Offerings By Branching Into Cereal

If Tropicana had made this announcement a few weeks ago, we'd have assumed it was an April Fool's joke. But for better or worse, it's real: The orange juice giant announced they're launching a new breakfast cereal called Tropicana Crunch in honor of National Orange Juice Day coming up on May 4.

The product itself is a honey almond granola-style cereal, and per the company's tweet, each box comes with a paper straw to polish off every last bit. But it won't be sweet cereal milk you're sipping — no, Tropicana says this cereal is meant to be eaten in a big bowl of orange juice: "15 million people have tried OJ on cereal. So how weird can it be?" the tweet said. "Find out for yourself when #TropicanaCrunch drops on #NationalOJDay."

The most important question: Does the combo taste good? Well, Tropicana doesn't really take a stance either way. Their promotional website calls it an "unforgettable breakfast experience" that "may not be for everyone (but it could be for you!)" And just like with other unlikely OJ-themed products Tropicana has launched, the internet is pretty divided on this new twist on a morning classic.

Even though a surprising 20% of Americans might already eat their cereal with a splash of orange juice instead of milk, according to a Kellogg survey from 2015 (via VICE), many social media commenters were a bit skeptical of Tropicana's new citrusy breakfast offering.

"OJ slaps but this seems ... odd," wrote one Redditor. A Twitter user was more forthright in joking, "Everyone involved with this should be sent to jail."

This isn't the first time Tropicana has tried to test the limits of its flagship product. In honor of National Brush Day in 2021, the brand tried to finally defeat the infamous flavor clash of orange juice and mint with a unique new toothpaste that won't ruin the taste of your glass of OJ. And it actually worked, according to one reviewer at Mashable.

But this doesn't necessarily mean OJ and granola will be equally successful, because there's a pretty good reason you should never have orange juice with your cereal. Acidic foods like oranges can break down a particular enzyme that typically handles carbs, so starchy cereals won't digest fully and may instead cause bloating, gas, and general digestive discomfort (via Livestrong). So, before you snag a box of Tropicana Crunch and a gallon of OJ, just know your stomach might not thank you even if the combo sounds appealing. (Orange you glad we didn't say "a-peel-ing"?)