Reversing an earlier decision, Britain’s Lord Justice Robin Jacob has ruled that Pringles are, indeed, potato chips. The decision means Pringles parent Procter & Gamble will be stuck paying $160 million in back taxes. P&G had insisted that the chips lack enough “potatoness” to qualify as a potato-based product (and be taxed as such), but the Judge disagreed, leaving it to philosophers and nutritionists to determine what exactly qualifies as the “essence of potato.” We kind of feel for P&G on this one. We love that crunch, and the way they stack so neatly in the can, but if we want real potatoes, a Pringle isn’t likely to be our first choice.
The Lord Justice Hath Ruled: Pringles Are Potato Chips [NYT]
More From Consumerist
-
Pepsi Marinated Chicken Wings & 3 Other Potato Chip Flavors We’d Have To Be Drunk To Try
-
Pepsi-Chicken Lay’s Potato Chips Are Tastier Than They Sound, But Only Sold In China
-
Just What We Needed: Pumpkin Pie And Peppermint Chocolate-Flavored Pringles
-
Kellogg Denies Having Anything To Do With Pringles Reddit Posts
-
Chicken & Waffles, Garlic Cheesy Bread & Sriracha Finalists In Chip Hunger Games
Pringles are the farthest things from real potato chips IMO…they taste like poorly flavored balsa wood to me.
@mbz32190: I agree. balsa wood is a perfect description. Although I will still buy them sometimes when their on sale, lol.
@mbz32190: Funny you say that- I remember in 7th grade shop class wondering if balsa wood would be good to nibble on.
@JeffM: I always thought it was the other way around: Balsa wood tastes surprisingly like pringles…..
@mbz32190: Actually they taste like deliciously flavored balsa wood
@mbz32190: The sour cream and onion ones are the only good ones. Pringles sour cream and onion > Herrs.
If I recall correctly, when they originally were introduced, the potato chip industry argued that they weren’t potato chips, since they weren’t sliced potatoes.
@Ozyman666: The standard is going to vary from country to country, though–and I suspect they’ll argue whichever way saves them the most money each time. Not that I blame them, but it can produce some amusing results.
@Ozyman666: They’re considered potato “Crisps”
Same as Munchos
@Coop:
Munchos!
Talk about a salt lick. I ate a small bag of Munchos a week ago and I’m still feeling it.
@Coop:
But in the UK, they’re not… or at least, they weren’t, until Lord Justice Jacob made this ruling. Crisps is what we UK-ers call potato chips… so P&G’s whole argument (in the UK) was that Pringles weren’t crisps, they were “potato snacks” or whatever the hell it was they tried to call them. Then in the US they have to argue that they ARE “crisps”.
See also: Jaffa Cakes, and McVities’ legal battle (which they won) to keep their classification as a cake rather than a biscuit (i.e. cookie) and foil the dastardly Inland Revenue and its taxation of chocolate-covered biscuits. [en.wikipedia.org]
Because nothing says POTATO like Pizza Flavored Pringles (aka “Pizzalicious”)
or Curry Flavored Pringles (available only in UK)…
or Ketchup Pringles…
or Chili Cheese Dog Pringles…
or Paprika Pringles…
Too bad they don’t still make Corn Pringles (sad)
I am guessing when it all comes down to it, are they really “Corn Chips” or “Potato Chips”?
@SnowingCookies: now Baked Potato Flavored Pringles, those are on a whole new level of taste and irony
@SnowingCookies: Best. Avatar. Ever. So cute!
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): BLOO!
@Mr_Human: i also want curry pringles. why are all the interesting-sounding foods overseas?
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): My cell ringtone is the theme from Fosters Home.. every once in a while it makes someone smile.. I love it! It’s just so darn catchy.. and I always know for sure that it’s my phone.
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!):
I’m crushing on YOUR avatar! Look at the little guy!!!!
@SnowingCookies: I would LOVE to try the curry pringles. I love curry.
@SnowingCookies: Why does every other country get the “cool” flavors of food. I want curry Pringles. I also miss the gourmet Pringles. Anyone remember Jay’s Calypso chips?
@SnowingCookies: I’m kind of glad the curry chips aren’t available here, I would have to visit the snack aisle if they were!
@SnowingCookies: OMG! I had no clue there really were much more than a few different flavors of Pringles! Just wow!!
[www.taquitos.net]
Bacon & Cheese Potato
Bacon Ranch
Cheeseburger
Cheesy Fries Potato Crisps
Cheesy Quesadilla
Cheez Ums
Chili Cheese Potato Crisps
Crunchy Dill Potato Crisps
Curry Flavour Savoury Snack
Extreme Blazin’ Buffalo Wing
Extreme Kickin’ Cheddar
Extreme Screamin’ Dill Pickle
Fat Free Barbecue Potato Crisps
Fiery Hot Potato Crisps
Game Time Philly Cheesesteak
Game Time Zesty Queso
Honey Mustard
Jalapeno
Jalapeno Cheddar
Ketchup
Loaded Baked Potato
Orange Colored Crisps
Original
Paprika
Pizza-licious Potato Crisps
Prints Daytona 500
Prints Guinness World Records 2006
Prints Music Trivia
Prints Trivial Pursuit
Ranch-Rageous Flavored Potato Crisps
Reduced Fat Original Potato Crisps
Restaurant Cravers Cheesy Fries
Restaurant Cravers Slow Cooked BBQ
Ridges Original
Salsa Potato Crisps
Salsa Verde Potato Crisps
Salt & Vinegar Potato Crisps
Select Bold Crunch Jalapeno Ranch
Select Bold Crunch Potato Cheddar Jack
Select Bold Crunch Potato Southwestern Barbecue
Select Cinnamon Sweet Potato Crisps
Select Parmesan Garlic
Select Sun Dried Tomato Potato Crisps
Select Sweet Potato Honey Chipotle Barbecue
Select Szechuan Barbecue Rice Crisps
Smokey BBQ
Smoky Bacon Potato Crisps
Sour Cream ‘N Onion Potato Crisps
Spicy Cajun Potato Crisps
Spicy Guacamole
Sweet Mesquite BBQ
Thai Sweet Chili Potato Crisps
White Cheddar Potato Crisps
Wisconsin White Cheddar Potato Crisps
@SnowingCookies:
I’m not sure if that is awesome or frightening.
Mayhaps a smidge of both?
@SnowingCookies: Put me down as another who would love to sample Curry Pringles!
To bad they don’t at least ship ‘em to Vancouver, BC, Canada so I could slip over the border and smuggle some back to the ‘States.
(There must be something distinctly habit forming in those curry spices – I can only go so long without them – and I’m half Swede, half Polack…)
I saw Dill Pickle flavored Pringles. I gagged a little bit when I read that
We need a special tax for “similar products made from the potato, or from potato flour” here in the U.S. Every penny not taxed is a loss of revenue that our legislators can’t spend for our benefit. It’s a crying shame.
@HiPwr: They should add one for products with corn in them. It would offset all the subsidies the government already hands out to grow corn.
Get the ISO involved, to define what a potato chip is.
@Trencher93: Potato chip its not but I don’t know how anyone can argue with a straight face that it is not a potato based product.
@Trencher93: Pringles are about 40% potato flour, which is why the lower, lower court originally decided that they fall under the definition of Potato Product in the law. Plus, in the US, they are marketed as Potato Chips.
I also like the NYT’s injection of Sonia Sotomayor into an article about British taxes on potato chips. What, no mention of George Bush or “torture memos”? Lazy NYT editorial board.
@HiPwr: It’s really an odd article choice as this is an opinion piece and not really a news article about the decision.
Most research firms (IRI, Nielsen, etc) consider them extruded snacks, along the same lines as Cheetos or Bugles. Interesting that the government taxes them differently…
PringlezCat is in your tube, eating your chips and ruining your chances of making a WiFi antenna.
@OGH!_GitEmSteveDave: On the other hand, PringlezCat is delivering the same content that you would get if you made a WiFi antenna instead. It’s like a Consumerist picture feed, but in real life.
@OGH!_GitEmSteveDave: The best part? There are 249 other kittens in the can, carefully stacked below that adorable fellow.
How is it NOT a potato chip??
@Shappie: I think the point is, because of the lack of 100% potato content.
@Shappie: The same way a Sun Chip isn’t the sun?
@Shappie: Pringles are mashed up potato, corn, and other vegetable/grains, formed into a chip shape and baked/fried. Chips are sliced and fried potatoes.
@Shappie: you are correct, in Britain they are referred to as crisps
@Shappie: The argument was that pringles only contain 42% potato (the rest is salt, flavorings, fat, etc)… ergo, not potato.
Yeah, I really wouldn’t consider them potato chips. Potato chip alternative maybe.
What about those yummy Potato Skin snacks? I haven’t seen those in a while and they used to be my weakness. Are those considered potato chips?
Chips? Nah…. This is one case where I’ll use the proper UK phrasing and call them “crisps” or maybe processed potato product. Definitely not chips.
@krispykrink: Pringles were arguing that they weren’t potato crisps, though. The American news sources are merely translating “crisps” to “chips.”
@floraposte:
Yeah, trying to report it in the US is where it gets confusing. “P&G argues that a Pringle is not a potato crisp (although in the US, that’s exactly what they argue a Pringle IS), by which they mean it’s not a potato chip. Lord Justice Jacob begs to differ, and has ruled that a Pringle is, in fact, a chip. Except that’s obviously not what he said, as that would make it a french fry. Um, potato-based salted snack, anyone?”
@Mr_Human: Lays used to make curry potato chips. They tasted delicious but I guess people were too weirded out to buy them and now you can’t find them anywhere.
@bombhand: Probably can in Britain, though, since that’s a fairly common flavor there. It’s fascinating how comparatively conservative the US is on potato-chip flavors. Oh, looks like the Wikipedia article has quite a bit on flavors, too: [en.wikipedia.org]
@bombhand:
Try Trader Joe’s tandoori flavored papadums. Yum yum.
@bombhand: And yet, here in China, Lay’s makes lemon and blueberry-flavored potato chips. And they’ve been making them for two beepin’ years. Ewww. But somehow the locals like them. I think they’ve been brainwashed- blueberry and potato just do not mix.
Kind of funny to sit here watching a chip manufacturer actually try to argue that their product does NOT qualify as what they are clearly trying to pass as.
It would be kind of like Sunny D arguing in court that they should not at all be considered orange juice, even though they’re clearly trying to be a barely passable version.
Thin —– check
Crunchy —– check
Salty —– check
Potato-based —– check
What the hell else would it be classified as? Of course it’s a potato chip!
@lannister80: many french fry varieties also fit that description such as waffle fries and shoestring french fries. Hash browns do too, depending on how they’re cooked. A potato chip is very different from a potato crisp. Pringles are not potato chips and are not pretending to be.
@cmdrsass: Don’t all those things qualify as “Potato Based Product” under the UK tax?
@lannister80: By that definition, fast-Food french fries left under your car seat for a decade (long enough to shrivel and dry to a snapping consistency) become potato chips.
Calling Pringels, Munchos, or any other reconstituted potato CRISP, a potato CHIP is like insisting a hamburger is a steak.
They’re potato ‘crisps’
I agree, I was suprised mostly to read that P&G was trying to prove Pringles lack “potatoness”, when the product is sold next to chips. I though they wanted you to think of them as a potatoe product. Hmmm…
of course it’s a potato chip.. what a ridiculous argument.
@Russ Savage: Hey, for $160 million, you’d try to argue a lot of ridiculous things, I’m sure.
Manufactured potato chips versus naturally processed.
end of story
@econobiker: BTW- I loved the picture of the cat in the Pringles tube…
Can you imagine their ads now? “Our potato chips don’t have the essence of potatoes nor or they chips! Why, they are just Pringles, a brand name for something shaped kinda like a chip.”
This kind of thing has happened before in british courts. Witness the great “is it a cake or a biscuit” that also wasted time and money: [en.wikipedia.org]
Cake or cookie? I don’t care, they’re still delicious!
funny thing there is a frost warning in Upstate NY for tonight; June first.
DARN that Global Warming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@rushevents: Ummm sorry folks this was Obviously placed in the wrong section.
oops.
A google serach for Pringles brings back the first result:
Pringles http://www.pringles.com
Fun information site from the maker of Pringles potato chips.
Pringle’s own website declares them to be potato chips…
Also from a trademark sense, you can’t call them just Pringles. Proper trademark usage has to be Pringles something – Pringles potato chips, Pringles potato crisps, Pringle balsa wood chips – or else they risk genericism and losing trademark rights – think Kleenex or Rollerblades.
I really like Pringles, but I stopped eating them when I read the ingredients section and saw the partially hydrogenated oils and MSG.
=
Mmm… 170 grams of curry-flavored potato “product”…
Seriously, mmm, I don’t care if they are Pringles, in curry flavor I’d probably like them.
But the Pringles UK site doesn’t list them. They do list “prawn” flavor though.
Pfft. Labels.
IMO, they’ll always be “crisps”.
Calling them ‘chips’ just because other similar products (that ARE true slices of potato) look kinda similar and are sold in the same area doesn’t make it a chip.
If you have a solid block of marble and knock a CHIP off of it, you get a smaller piece separated from the original. That’s a CHIP.
But it’s not a CHIP if the whole block was crushed up, and a small piece was created by cementing the pulverized gravel into a conglomerate mass.
Just as a snowball is not just a rounded ice-cube.
Just as a hamburger, or a hotdog is not a steak.
Just as IKEA sells cheap compressed particle-board, not real hardwood furniture.
The argument? Yeah, it’s stupid. But only because the politicians are just trying to F with classifications in order to try to kludge together a fix for their stupid tax loophole.
Taxing foodstuffs based on the classification is the real retarded issue at hand.
If you’re going to be greedy, and want to target spuds
just f’in tax all potato “products”.
They are made from a potato dough, they are not potato chips.
@Corporate_guy: Right but they ARE potoato-based products, which is what the British determination is.
@fantomesq: Yea, nothing is ever clear on it. If a cracker made from potato dough counts, then pringles counts. If they are saying it only counts because it has some potato in it and it is marketed the same as a chip, then their is a problem. They either tax the ingredients or they don’t. I doubt their rules are clear, since the company thought they could get out of paying it.
I welcome our potato…product overlords.
Not that they’re exactly new. I just never knew what to call them before.
BTW, where are the kitteh flavored chips like in the picture on the main page?
Forget the rest of the article, my superhero name is going to be “Lord Justice.”
Man, in Fred Baur knew about this, he’d be rolling in his Pringles can.
As far as I am concerned, the government should tax any company that makes junk food, potato chips, crips, chocolate or otherwise!
And give hefty tax breaks to any company that offers healthier alternatives.
Who cares?
Whatever you call them, chips or crisps or cheechees, the real issue is the new formula. “Now even crispier!” the packaging says. What they mean is, they’ve switched to corn oil, and changed how they cook ‘em, because Pringles now have less fat than they used to. And less sodium, too. Because hey, when you want less fat and salt in your diet, you reach for Pringles.
My son and I, are we the only ones who hate the new Pringles? They’ve only been on the shelves maybe six, eight weeks now.
They’re so bad they don’t even taste good in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
They’re so bad, I wouldn’t even eat them at the beach.
Didn’t Proctor & gamble lose a lawsuit to lays stating that they couldn’t call their chips potato chips because they were not?
I remember watching something on TV where P&G lost a lawsuit on this from Lays potato chips back then.
They couldn’t call them potato chips on the can as a result.
“A spokeswoman for Pringles’ manufacturer Procter & Gamble Co. said the company has been paying the tax protectively and so does not owe the taxman.” [www.boston.com]
P&G is just not having any luck in the courts with Pringles. First in the US they aren’t considered chips, but now in the UK they are.
Moral of the story: stop with the BS taxes, especially the junk food / health / “sin” tax, and just tax everything equally for God’s sake!