In 2008, Pringles won a UK court case by successfully arguing it isn't really a potato crisp. It lost that argument on appeal the following year — but the reason it was ever in doubt says a lot about what's actually in the tube.
The stackable can innovation
Pringles were developed by Procter & Gamble chemist Fredric Baur, who patented the saddle-shaped chip design and the tube-shaped can built to hold it. The product launched nationally in the US in 1968 under the name "Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips". The uniform saddle shape let the chips stack tightly with almost no wasted space, meaning less air in the packaging, less breakage in transit, and more product fitting into a smaller container than a bag of traditional crisps. Baur was reportedly so proud of the invention that, per his request, some of his ashes were buried in a Pringles can after his death in 2008.
Why they're technically not a potato chip
Unlike a traditional crisp, which is a sliced and fried potato, a Pringle is made from dehydrated potato flakes and potato starch mixed with wheat, corn and rice starches, pressed into shape and fried or baked. Potato makes up only around 42% of the recipe. That distinction became a genuine legal argument in the UK: in 2008 a VAT tribunal ruled Pringles should be zero-rated as a food rather than taxed as a potato crisp, because of the low potato content and different manufacturing method. HM Revenue & Customs appealed, and in 2009 the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling, deciding Pringles were similar enough to a potato crisp in taste and ingredients to be taxed as one after all.
The flavour history
Original and Sour Cream & Onion have anchored the range since the early years, but the UK line-up has included Texas BBQ, Paprika, Sweet Chilli, Bacon and, most distinctly British, Prawn Cocktail — a flavour that rarely appears outside the UK and Ireland but is a fixture of British snack aisles.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the Pringles can?
The stackable Pringles can and chip shape were developed by chemist Fredric Baur for Procter & Gamble, with the product launching nationally in the US in 1968.
What flavours has the UK seen over the years?
Alongside Original and Sour Cream & Onion, the UK range has included Texas BBQ, Paprika, Sweet Chilli and the distinctly British Prawn Cocktail flavour, which is rarely sold outside the UK and Ireland.
Why are Pringles technically not a potato chip?
Pringles are made from dehydrated potato flakes and starch blended with wheat, corn and rice starches, with potato making up only around 42% of the recipe, which is why a 2008 UK tax tribunal initially ruled they weren't a potato crisp — a decision overturned on appeal in 2009.