General Mills

The 1963 SO Division annual report, detailed how two Fortune 500 companies were integral in developing biological weapons. From page 19 of the document,

“The contractor, General Mills, Inc., will perform theoretical and experimental work on the characteristics of dry, finely ground materials insofar as they would affect the storing, metering, conveying and deagglomeration of agents. In addition, they will design, fabricate and test advanced research models of external stores of two types for the dissemination of liquid and dry agent respectively.” [9]

General Mills, self-described as, “one of the oldest and most trusted food companies, with products in 90% of American pantries,” [10] was helping the Army manufacture biological weapons by storing, spraying, moving, and mixing powdered and liquid biological agents on behalf of the US Army. They also tested and iterated on two storage containers, weapons dispensing mechanisms made to attach to F-100 and F-105 fighter planes.

As seen in an upcoming page in this exhibit, the Special Operations Division was carrying out research focused on grain viruses during this timeframe. This biannual review reports tests carried out by food manufacturers. It makes intuitive sense that General Mills would be tasked with this, as the company has expertise in processing grain. However, one can imagine why this information was classified; it’s unsavory to imagine Captain Crunch spraying fortified germs on your Crunch Berries.

Works Cited:

9: SO Division. “SO Quarterly Progress Report of Sept 62 and Comments.” NARA, November 2, 1962. National Archives and Records Administration at College Park, RG 544, Box 4. https://pacificatrocitiesedu.reclaim.hosting/items/show/1535.

10: “General Mills About Us.” General Mills. Accessed July 10, 2025. https://www.generalmills.com/about-us.