Pringles Logo — Pringles is a brand of potato- and wheat-based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than US$1 billion. In April 2011, P&G agreed to the $2.35 billion sale of the brand to Diamond Foods of California, a deal which would have more than tripled the size of Diamond’s snack business. However, the deal fell through in February 2012 after a year-long delay due to issues over Diamond’s accounts. On February 15, 2012, the Kellogg Company agreed to buy Pringles for $2.7 billion. The sale is expected to be completed by summer.

Pringles come in many flavors. Standard flavors include original, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, barbecue and loaded baked potato. Some flavors were distributed only to limited market areas. For example, prawn cocktail, spicy cheese, wasabi, smokey bacon and curry flavors have been available in the United Kingdom.

Occasionally P&G produced limited edition runs. Seasonal flavors, past and present, include ketchup, zesty lime and chili, chili cheese dog, “pizzalicious”, paprika, Texas BBQ sauce, and cajun. A “low-fat” variety was also sold. Examples of limited edition flavors include jalapeno, honey mustard, cheesy fries, onion blossom, mozzarella cheese stick, screamin’ dill pickle, and Mexican layered dip. At one point in the early 1990s, “Corn Pringles” were available. The canister was black and had cartoon images of corn, as well as the normal packaging standards. The crisps were made of corn and resembled a corn chip in flavor and texture.

Pringles also produces several “multi-grain” varieties which have some of their base starch ingredients replaced with corn flour, barley flour, wheat bran and black beans. To address consumer interest in healthier ingredients, Pringles experimented in the late ’80s with bringing brand extensions to market that included vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots in the potato dough, but the market was thought too small. Pringles has offered specialized flavors in other parts of the world, such as mozzarella stick with marinara in North America and jalapeño in Latin America.

Five new flavors were introduced in Asia, namely: soft-shelled crab; grilled shrimp; seaweed; blueberry and hazelnut; and lemon and sesame. The grilled shrimp chips are pink in color, while seaweed is colored green. Two limited market flavors, cheeseburger and “Taco Night”, were recalled in March 2010 as a safety precaution after Salmonella was found in a Basic Food Flavors plant which produces the flavor-enhancing hydrolyzed vegetable protein used in those flavors.

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