Trix No Longer Has Its Neon Color and People Are Freaking Out

Few things remind people of their grade school glory years like the sugary cereals and mascots that punctuated every Saturday morning cartoon. (That might explain the fervor over those marshmallow-only boxes of Lucky Charms.) Few brands epitomized that sugary breakfast glee like Trix, with its bullied rabbit and cereal so neon you'd swear it could glow. 

But the Trix of your youth isn't the Trix of today, even if it's still not intended for rabbits. General Mills has removed artificial colors and flavors from the fruity cereal. In theory, this should be celebrated. It's at least a nod toward making breakfast a little healthier. In practice, it's fired up the internet rage machine. 

General Mills has diligently responded to complaints with a smile, informing people this change happened in 2016 and, gee willikers, they'll be glad to tell someone how you feel.

(Really, though, that social media person is doing a bang-up job of smiling through the minefield of complaints.)

However, the kindness of one beleaguered social media staffer couldn't slow the wave of heckling already underway.

Amidst the pitchforks and torches was one person who saw the truth.

Discussion of the change has become so prevalent it got its own Twitter moment. However, the change dates back to January 2016. That's when General Mills announced the world's seventh-best cereal would undergo a sweeping color change for the first time since its initial release in 1954.

General Mills removed artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources at that time, which included the removal of fructose corn syrup. Fruit and vegetable juices are now used for flavoring, while spice extracts provide the color.

Trix wasn't the only cereal that got a facelift, but it's quite easily the most noticeable since it originally looked radioactive. Reese’s Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, and Fruity Cheerios were a part of the overhaul as well.

It may not look like your youth any longer, but, you know, you're an adult eating Trix. Things are going pretty well.

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Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He wonders what happened to Cookie Crisp. Follow him @dlukenelson.