Yes, Pringles Are Potato Chips
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]
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Comments:
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.
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"?
@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.
@mbz32190: I agree. balsa wood is a perfect description. Although I will still buy them sometimes when their on sale, lol.
@SnowingCookies: now Baked Potato Flavored Pringles, those are on a whole new level of taste and irony
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.
Get the ISO involved, to define what a potato chip is.
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.
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.
@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.
How is it NOT a potato chip??
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.
@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.
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!
@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.
@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.
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.
Manufactured potato chips versus naturally processed.
end of story
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."
@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]
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!
@krispykrink: Pringles were arguing that they weren't potato crisps, though. The American news sources are merely translating "crisps" to "chips."
funny thing there is a frost warning in Upstate NY for tonight; June first.
DARN that Global Warming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@mbz32190: Funny you say that- I remember in 7th grade shop class wondering if balsa wood would be good to nibble on.
@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?
@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.
@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.
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): BLOO!
@Mr_Human: i also want curry pringles. why are all the interesting-sounding foods overseas? :x
@Shappie: The argument was that pringles only contain 42% potato (the rest is salt, flavorings, fat, etc)... ergo, not potato.
A google serach for Pringles brings back the first result:
Pringles 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.
@HiPwr: It's really an odd article choice as this is an opinion piece and not really a news article about the decision.
I really like Pringles, but I stopped eating them when I read the ingredients section and saw the partially hydrogenated oils and MSG.
=\
@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'
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.
Pringles are the farthest things from real potato chips IMO...they taste like poorly flavored balsa wood to me.