Today's News
Newsreleases
ISU homepage
01-24-03
Contacts:
Carole Custer, University Marketing, (515) 294-3134
Annette Hacker, News Service, (515) 294-3720
SUCCESS IS SWEET: IOWA STATE'S RICE KRISPIES TREAT SETS NEWWORLD RECORD
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University is regarded for innovation in scienceand technology...but for cereal, marshmallows and butter?
Officials at Guinness World Records say it's so.
Iowa State has set a new world record for making the world's largestKellogg's Rice Krispies Treat. The 2,480-pound Treat, made by students, faculty,staff and volunteers during Iowa State's April 2001 Veishea celebration,broke the previous record of 2,260 pounds set by Michigan State University.
Iowa State was notified of the Guinness award in late 2002.
Alyssa Armbrecht, the food science and chemical engineering major whooversaw the 2001 Rice Krispies project, returned to campus today (Jan. 24)to present the official Guinness World Record certificate to Iowa StateUniversity President Gregory Geoffroy.
"Creating the world's largest Rice Krispies Treat took a lot of cooperationfrom students, faculty and staff. For Iowa State to become a world-recordholder is a great reward," Armbrecht said. "How many students get theopportunity to manage up to 100 people in a process that involvessponsorship, engineering, food science and project coordination? Thoseskills are completely transferable to my job."
The world's largest Rice Krispies Treat, made in Iowa State's Friley Hallkitchen, was made from 818 pounds of Rice Krispies, 1,466 pounds ofmarshmallows and 217 pounds of butter. It took eight hours to make thebatter, which was poured into a waterproof Plexiglass form measuring 12 feetlong, 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep. The gigantic snack was then loaded ontoa flatbed truck, weighed, and showcased in the Veishea parade. The RiceKrispies Treat was eventually cut into pieces and sold. A few of thosepieces have been saved for posterity.
Iowa State's Rice Krispies Treat was made in observance of the 2001all-university theme, "Strengthening Families to Become the Best," co-sponsored bythe College of Family and Consumer Sciences. It also honors alumna Mildred Day, a 1928 Iowa State home economics graduate who helpedcreate the prototype for the Rice Krispies Treat while employed atKellogg's.
Project manager Armbrecht received bachelor's degrees in chemicalengineering and food science from Iowa State University in May 2002. Shecurrently works in baking product research and development at General Millsin Minneapolis.
"Congratulations to Alyssa, and all of the students, faculty and staff whohelped make Iowa State a world-record holder. It's really quite a treat,"said Iowa State President Gregory Geoffroy.
-30-
NOTE: Rice Krispies, Rice Krispies Treat, and Snap, Crackle and Pop areregistered trademarks of the Kellogg Company.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A downloadable photo of the certificate may be found athttp://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/photos.html. For more information, contactLinda Charles at (515) 294-3129.
