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Product Life-Cycle Outline

Juliana Caro Pachon

PHL4900-H80 The Social Contract

Cleary University

Prof. Mayhew

Product Life-Cycle Outline

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Every product that we buy in our daily lives is the result of a process. They don’t just

originate in a second, they require resources, manufacturers, and transportation, then it is sold,

used, and then disposed of. All of these stages are part of the life cycle of the product and have

economic, environmental, and ethical costs and benefits.

This paper will take a deeper look at the life-cycle of a famous product that most of you

have consumed at least once: Pop-Tarts which are produced by Kellog’s, a Michigan brand.

“While there are many Pop-Tarts factories across the United States, Searcy is home to a

massive chunk of Kellogg’s Pop-Tart production.” (Where Are Pop-Tarts Made?, 2021)

“Pop-Tarts is a brand of toaster pastries produced and distributed by Kellogg's since

1964. Pop-Tarts have a sweet filling sealed inside two layers of thin, rectangular pastry crust.

Most varieties are also frosted. Although sold pre-cooked, they are designed to be warmed inside

a toaster or microwave oven. They are usually sold in pairs inside Mylar (previously foil)

packages and do not require refrigeration”(“Pop-Tarts,” 2022)

First of all, we are going to analyze what it requires to make one of these pastries.

Starting from the ingredients, Pop-Tarts are made of:

- Plain flour

- Cold butter

- Icing sugar

- Eggs

- Water

- Salt
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- Egg wash (egg yolk mixed with water)

- Vanilla extract

- Sprinkles

- Jam

(Pop Tarts, 2017)

According to an article published by Kellogs (sourcing_Pop-Tarts, 2018), Pop-Tarts are

made from hard red spring wheat which is sourced from farms in North and South Dakota, and

Montana. The wheat is planted from April to late May and harvested from August to mid-

September.

Now that we know what it is necessary to make them and where the main ingredients

come from, we are going to take a look at the production process which includes 7 stages.

1. Milling: millers select high-quality what to clean and mill into wheat flour.

2. Mixing: the wheat flour is mixed with oil, water, salt, sugar, etc.

3. Rolling: dough is rolled into sheets

4. Filling and Layering: Fillings are put on top of the dough, then covered with

another layer of dough

5. Cutting and baking: dough is cut into rectangles and then baked

6. Topping: frosting and sprinkles are added

7. Packaging: pop-tarts are wrapped and packaged in Pikeville, KY.

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After the packaging process, it will start the distribution part of the cycle. For that reason,

it is time to take a look at the wholesaler channel which consists of 4 main parts:

1. Producer

2. Wholesalers

3. Retailers

4. Consumers

Pop-Tarts “ are distributed mainly in the USA, but also Canada, Finland, Australia, the

United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.”(Pop Tarts, 2017)

Some people might think that the product life-cycle will end now but it is still missing

one of the most important which is the disposal process.

“Pop-Tarts Paperboard Box: Can be recycled!

Pop-Tarts Wrapper: Can be upcycled through TerraCycle.

Mini Crisps Wrapper: Can be upcycled through TerraCycle.

Mini Crisps Paperboard Box: Can be recycled!” (Pop-Tarts - RecycleSearch, n.d.)

One of the most amazing parts of the disposable process that has a great impact on the

environment is that the boxes used are from 100% recycled paper.

Now that we know the Pop-tart life cycle, we will check some economic, environmental,

and ethical costs and benefits.

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First of all, if we take a look at the ethical costs of the Pop-tarts I would like to talk about

how healthy they truly are. “Pop-Tarts are high in sugar and contain refined flour and unhealthy

oils. They provide very little protein or fiber.” (“Why are Pop Tarts so small now?,” 2021) Most

companies don’t really think about the damage that they are making to the consumers of their

products, especially children who are the top consumers of Pop-Tarts. Kids love this product but

it has a lot of sugar that in the long term can be dangerous for them. I think that Kellog’s should

approach a healthier pastries product that is more healthy for kids but still delicious so they will

still eat it.

One economic benefit that Pop-Tarts have for Kellog’s is that they are cheap so it is

accessible to a lot of people and they represent a lot of revenue for the company. “In the last

year, Kellogg’s sold $481 million worth of Pop-Tarts in mass United States stores (excluding

Wal-Mart), according to market-research firm SymphonyIRI Group” (Clifford, 2010)

Finally, the environmental impact that Pop-Tars have is that, as we mentioned before,

their packaging materials can be recycled for the most part. It is good that Kellog’s is focused on

the impact of the packaging process by making the boxes from 100% recycled paper and also

that they think about the afterlife by allowing the wrapper to be recycled as well.

References
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Pop-Tarts—RecycleSearch. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2022, from

http://www.recyclesearch.com/home/pop-tarts

Pop-Tarts: Foods of the World, USA 在美国用烤面包机烤水果馅饼. (2017,

January 9). Culturalbility. https://culturalbility.com/foods-world-pop-tarts/

Where Are Pop-Tarts Made? Homemade Recipes, Flavors, History. (2021, May 11).

https://www.phsinc.com/history-of-manufacturing/where-are-pop-tarts-made/

sourcing_Pop-Tarts. (2018, July 5). Retrieved April 10, 2022, from

https://www.kelloggsawayfromhome.com/content/dam/kelloggsspecialitychannel/

images/virtual-resource-center/assets/Sourcing_Pop-Tarts.pdf

Why are Pop Tarts so small now? (2021, August 28). Foodly - Magazine #1 Food &

Gastronomie : Recettes, Cuisines & Adresses. https://foodly.tn/tips/7-3037/

Clifford, S. (2010, August 9). A Times Square Aura for Pop-Tarts. The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/business/09poptart.html