Pringles facts for kids
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| Type | Potato snack |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kellanova |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced |
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| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Procter & Gamble (1968–2012) |
Pringles are a popular American snack, known for their unique shape and tall cans. They are a type of potato-based chip that can be stacked neatly. Pringles were first created by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1968. They were originally called "Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips."
Because of how they are made, Pringles are technically considered an extruded snack. This means their dough is pushed through a special machine to give them their shape. In 2012, the Pringles brand was sold to Kellogg's, a well-known food company.
As of 2011, Pringles were sold in over 140 countries around the world. In 2012, Pringles were one of the top snack brands globally.
Contents
The Story of Pringles
The idea for Pringles started in 1956. A chemist named Fredric J. Baur was asked by Procter & Gamble to create a new kind of potato chip. People often complained that regular potato chips were broken, greasy, or stale. They also didn't like that bags of chips seemed to have a lot of air.
Fred Baur worked for two years to create a chip that was shaped like a saddle. This shape helps the chips stack perfectly. He also designed the tall, tube-shaped can to keep the chips safe. This special shape is known in math as a hyperbolic paraboloid. Even though Fred designed the shape, another researcher, Alexander Liepa, later improved the taste of the chips. A mechanical engineer and author named Gene Wolfe also helped create the machine that cooked the chips.
P&G first sold Pringles in Indiana in 1968. They slowly became available across the United States. By 1975, most of the US could buy them, and by 1991, Pringles were sold all over the world.
How Pringles Got Their Name
There are a few ideas about how Pringles got its name. One story says it came from a person named Mark Pringle, who had a patent for processing potatoes. Another idea is that two P&G employees lived on Pringle Drive in Ohio, and they liked the sound of the name. Some even say the name was chosen randomly from a phone book!
Chips or Crisps?
When Pringles first came out, other snack makers argued that they weren't "real" potato chips. This was because Pringles are made from a potato-based dough, not from slices of whole potatoes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even got involved. In 1975, they ruled that Pringles could only use the word "chip" if they said "potato chips made from dried potatoes." Because this name was so long, Pringles decided to call their product potato "crisps" instead of chips.
Who Owns Pringles Now?
In 2012, Kellogg's officially bought Pringles from Procter & Gamble for about $2.7 billion. This deal helped Kellogg's become the second-largest snack company in the world.
As of 2015, Pringles are made in five factories around the globe. These factories are located in places like Jackson, Tennessee (USA), Mechelen (Belgium), and Johor (Malaysia).
What Are Pringles Made Of?
Pringles are made with about 42% potato. The rest of the chip is made from things like wheat starch and flours (from corn and rice). They also contain vegetable oils, salt, and different seasonings.
Other ingredients can include sweeteners, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and various natural and artificial flavorings. The exact ingredients depend on the flavor of the Pringles.
Pringles also make "tortilla" and "multi-grain" versions. These have some of their potato content replaced with corn flour, rice, wheat bran, or black beans.
Pringles Nutrition Facts
A serving of about 16 Original Pringles contains 150 kilocalories. It also has 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 110 milligrams of potassium, and 1 gram of protein.
Many Flavors to Try
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Pringles come in many different flavors! For a long time, only the original flavor was available in the US. Now, common flavors include original, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, and barbecue. Some flavors are only sold in certain parts of the world, like prawn cocktail or wasabi in the United Kingdom.
Sometimes, Pringles releases special limited edition flavors. These can be for holidays or just for fun. Past seasonal flavors have included ketchup, zesty lime and chili, and even pumpkin pie spice. Other limited flavors have included jalapeño, honey mustard, and "screamin' dill pickle."
In 2010, two limited-market flavors, cheeseburger and "Taco Night," were taken off shelves as a safety precaution. This was because of an issue with an ingredient used in those flavors.
Pringles Advertising
Pringles is famous for its catchy slogans. In the United States, Canada, and other countries, you might hear "Once you pop, the fun don't stop!" The original slogan was "Once you pop, you can't stop!"
Early Pringles TV commercials were made in 1968. They often showed how Pringles were better than regular potato chips. They highlighted that Pringles stayed fresh and unbroken in their unique cans. The curvy shape also meant they could be stacked, leading to the slogan, "Other potato chips just don't stack up."
In the 1980s, Pringles had a jingle that went, "Once you taste the flavor, then you get the fever, then you've got the fever for the flavor of a Pringle!"
More recently, Pringles ads often show people enjoying Pringles while someone else struggles with a greasy, broken bag of regular chips.
The Pringles Can
Pringles are well-known for their special packaging: a tall, tube-shaped can with a resealable plastic lid. This can was invented by Fredric J. Baur, the same person who helped create the chips. The can is designed to keep the chips from breaking.
Interestingly, Fred Baur's children honored his wish to be buried with some of his cremated remains placed inside a Pringles can.
The Pringles can has been criticized because it can be hard to recycle. This is because it's made from several different materials.
Julius Pringles
The Pringles logo features a cartoon drawing of a man's head. This character is officially known as "Julius Pringles," or sometimes just "Mr. P." He has a big mustache and hair parted in the middle.
The name "Julius" actually started as a joke on Wikipedia in 2006! An editor added the name to the Pringles Wikipedia page, and other news sites picked it up. People even made a Facebook page to spread the name. By 2013, the name had become so popular that Kellogg's officially recognized him as Julius Pringles. Before this, he was only known as "Mr. P."
See also
In Spanish: Pringles para niños
