Kettle Foods facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kettle Foods, Inc.

A bag of sea salt and vinegar-flavored Kettle potato chips
Type	Potato chips
Owner	Campbell Soup (2018–present)
Country	United States
Introduced	1978; 47 years ago (1978) (as N.S. Khalsa Company)
Markets	United States, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Australia
Previous owners	Snyder's-Lance (2016–18) Diamond Foods (2010–16) Lion Capital (2006–10)

Kettle Foods, Inc. is an American company that makes potato chips. It started in Salem, Oregon, in the United States. They also have a main office in Norwich, United Kingdom, for their business in Europe and the Middle East. In 2006, Kettle Foods was the biggest brand for natural potato chips in the U.S.

The company was started in 1978 by Cameron Healy. It was first called "N.S. Khalsa Company." Over the years, it has been owned by different companies. These include Lion Capital, Diamond Foods, and Snyder's-Lance. Since March 2018, Campbell Soup has owned Kettle Foods.

The Story of Kettle Chips

How Kettle Foods Started

Cameron Healy founded the company in 1978. It was first known as the "N.S. Khalsa Company." The very first Kettle potato chips were made in 1982.

Growing to the UK

In 1988, Kettle Foods opened a branch in the United Kingdom. This happened after the founder and his son took a motorcycle trip. They set up their first UK factory in a old shoe factory in Norwich, England. Five years later, they moved to a new, bigger factory nearby.

Green Energy Efforts

Kettle Foods cares about the environment. In 2003, they put in the largest solar power system in the Pacific Northwest. This was at their factory in Salem, Oregon. Their goal was to use more green energy to make their chips.

New Factories and Ownership Changes

In 2006, an investment company called Lion Capital LLP bought Kettle Foods. Later, in 2007, Kettle Foods opened a second factory in the U.S. This new factory was in Beloit, Wisconsin. It was special because it was the first food factory to get a "gold certification" for being very environmentally friendly. This award came from the United States Green Building Council's LEED program.

In 2010, Diamond Foods bought Kettle Foods for $615 million. Then, in 2016, Snyder's-Lance bought Diamond Foods. Finally, in 2018, Campbell Soup Company bought Snyder's-Lance, which included Kettle Foods.

Making Chips Safer

In 2008, Kettle Foods and other chip makers reached an agreement in California. They agreed to lower the levels of a certain substance in their potato chips. This was done to make the chips even safer for people to eat.

Kettle Chips Around the World

Kettle Foods UK helps send Kettle products to many countries. You can find their chips in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Some of these countries include France, Germany, India, and Singapore.

It's important to know that the "Kettle Chip" brand in Australia is different. It is owned by another company called Snack Brands Australia.

About Kettle Potato Chips

Kettle Foods is best known for its potato chips. They market their products as "all-natural." This means they use simple ingredients.

How They Make Them

Kettle potato chips are fried in special oils. These oils are pressed from plants like safflower, sunflower, or canola oil. These oils are known for being healthier.

What's Inside the Chips

For their basic "Sea Salt" chips, the ingredients are simple: potatoes, plant oils (safflower, sunflower, or canola), and sea salt. Other flavors might also use natural flavors, spices, citric acid, and yeast extract.

Fun New Flavors

Kettle Foods sometimes holds contests to create new chip flavors. Some past winners include "Tuscan Three Cheese" and "Buffalo Bleu." They also had "Cheddar Beer," "Jalapeno Jack," and "Spicy Thai."

Popular Flavors

Here are some of the potato chip flavors Kettle Foods has sold:

Flavors in the United States

Flavors in the United Kingdom

Flavors in Europe and the Middle East