Who Knew?

Pringles are Chips....no, Crisps...but not in the UK....they are biscuits or cakes there - HUH?

Pringles were initially introduced into the market as Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips.  However, having only 42% potato-based  in its formula, the majority of it being wheat starch and various types of flour, the U.S. FDA eventually made them change their name because they didn't meet the requirements of a potato "chip". In 1975 the name Chip was changed to Crisp.

Oddly enough, this change brought trouble upon the Pringles Company in the U.K.  "Crisp" in Brit-speak translate to"Chip", so they were back to being a potato chip - at least in the United Kingdom.  Apparently, there is also a 17.5% VAT (value added tax) on products made with potatoes.  In 2008, the Pringles Company had to go to court, citing that (under British standards) Pringles are more like a cake or biscuit, and therefore should not be charged the VAT.  The High Court ultimately ruled that the product was not a potato chip and the VAT tax did not apply.

Luckily, no name change was necessary.

As a side note----the Pringles cartoon character is name Julius Pringle...who knew?