Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods, such as olestra, could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. The study, by researchers at Purdue University, challenges the conventional wisdom that foods made with fat substitutes help with weight loss. By feeding rats Pringles potato chips – either full-fat or both full-fat and ‘low-fat’ olestra varieties – researchers... ...Read more »

Diamond Foods has struck a deal to buy the Pringles snack brand from consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble for US$2.35 billion. The transaction will see Pringles join a Diamond stable including the Kettle Chips brand, which the company acquired last year. A deal had been speculated about in the autumn when P&G reportedly turned down a deal with Diamond over concerns about how the deal was structured. Diamond said yesterday that the acquisition of Pringles would more than triple its snacks... ...Read more »

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has reportedly turned down a proposal to merge its Pringles snacks business with US snack maker Diamond Foods. According to a report from Bloomberg on Friday evening (17 September), P&G was in talks with Diamond, but stopped negotiations amid concern about how the potential deal was structured. Bloomberg said the two companies were in talks over a “spin merger” that would have given P&G the chance to sell Pringles in a tax-free merger, while giving... ...Read more »

Pringles have introduced consumers to new Pringles Multigrain, a surprisingly tasty twist on multigrain snacks. As the latest addition to the Pringles family, Pringles Multigrain is packed with multigrain flavor and crunch and comes in three mouth-watering varieties: Truly Original, Creamy Ranch and Cheesy Cheddar. As part of the U.S. rollout, Pringles and Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence are working together to make it easy for consumers to also make a difference while trying new Pringles Multigrain... ...Read more »

Consumer products giant, the Procter & Gamble Company, last night announced organic sales growth of two per cent “on better than expected results across most business segments”. The maker of Pringles raised its outlook for the October – December quarter and fiscal 2010 organic sales growth citing modestly higher expectation for market growth. “Our September quarter results give us encouragement we are making the right choices to grow market share profitably,” said... ...Read more »

Procter & Gamble, the maker of some of the world’s most well-known consumer brands, has booked a rise in full-year profit despite a decline in market share. The company admitted that pressure on beauty and snack brands had been intense, leading to an 11 per cent decline in fourth quarter sales. “In fiscal 2009 and particularly in the fourth quarter, P&G faced one of the most difficult macroeconomic environments in decades,” A.G. Lafley, Chairman of P&G, said. “We... ...Read more »

Pringles have been officially been declared as potato crisps (chips) in the UK, obliging Procter & Gamble to continue paying millions of pounds in value added tax (VAT). In Britain, most bakery products such as cakes and bread are free from the VAT, but potato crisps are liable for the 15 per cent tax. As a result, Procter & Gamble have been trying to overturn a decision which lists Pringles as a potato chip. Last year, at the High Court in the UK, Procter & Gamble claimed that Pringles... ...Read more »

The world’s largest consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, saw volumes drop as the downturn began to have an impact on their business in the December quarter, a possible sign of the impact of private label. Procter & Gamble’s heightened prices helped shield them from major revenue declines, however. “As expected, this was a particularly challenging quarter,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer A.G. Lafley. “Despite this, we grew organic sales two per... ...Read more »

Kellogg Company, the world’s largest cereal manufacturer, has reported third-quarter 2008 sales growing 9% to US$3.3b – driven by price increases and the trend toward more people eating at home. “The Kellogg business model and strategy continue to give us the ability to offset inflationary headwinds while hitting our targets and delivering sustainable, dependable performance in these very volatile times,” said David Mackay, Kellogg’s chief executive officer. Mr Mackay... ...Read more »

Procter & Gamble, owner of the Pringles brand, have won a High Court ruling in the UK which establishes the Pringles products are not potato crisps (chips). Procter & Gamble initiated an appeal following a VAT and Duties Tribunal decision in May that Pringles products were, in fact, potato crisps – therefore making them eligible for a 17.5% sales tax. P&G’s successful appeal to the High Court was based on their belief that the product is more like a cake or biscuit due to... ...Read more »