The man widely credited with being the primary member of a team of then-Keebler Co. workers who invented Pop-Tarts, has passed away, according to news reports. William Post, who was raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., was 96 when he died on Feb. 10.
In a statement shared by The Associated Press, Kellanova (one of the two spinoffs of the former Kellogg Co.) shared the company’s sadness at Post’s passing, adding that he had played an important role in co-creating Pop-Tarts some 60 years ago.
Post’s obituary states he was a plant manager for a company that would later be known as Keebler Co., when Kellogg executives asked if he thought it was possible for Keebler to create a new product they’d dreamed up. What the team went on to create was the Pop-Tart, which debuted in 1964 in four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar and apple-currant.
The obituary says that Post would have claimed to not have invented the Pop-Tart, but that he assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry in four months’ time.
Post retired from Keebler as a senior vice president some 40 years ago.
