Pringles is arguably one of the most popular snack brands in the world. The Kellogg’s-owned stackable potato chips gained immediate attention due to their distinctive packaging.
While most brands on the market sold in the typical potato chip plastic bags, Pringles came packaged in a paperboard resealable tube.
Unfortunately, Pringles has received heavy backlash due to its decision to save cost by adding ingredients not suitable for consumption by some cultural standards.
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Dried Potatoes
Surprisingly, Pringles contain only about 42% potato content — and even then, they aren’t real potatoes.
Because potatoes are oval, they all curl somewhat differently, making every chip vary in size and shape. However, Pringles are prepared differently.
Pringles are prepared with potato starch, stabilisers, wheat flour, and other ingredients — turned into a mushy paste that is extracted from the machine in exact amounts. They are then baked and shaped into the famous curves we are familiar with before becoming crispy.
This way, every individual pringle is the same size.
Conclusion: Although Pringles’ potatoes are not natural, they are halal.
Vegetable Oil
According to their site, Pringles uses corn, cottonseed, high oleic soybean, and/or sunflower oil.
Conclusion: Vegetable oil used in Pringles is halal.
Cornstarch and Corn Flour
Corn starch, as the name implies, is gotten from corn. It is a part of the Pringles’ dehydrated processed potato’ recipe — giving each pringle its uniform design.
Conclusion: Cornstarch and corn flour is made from corn and thus, is halal.
Filler Ingredients
Other ingredients contained in some flavours of Pringles include:
Wheat Starch
Almost all Pringle flavours contain wheat starch — a polysaccharide with a high concentration of glucose molecules.
Although plant-based, wheat starch is not safe for people with celiac or gluten intolerances, which is why they should search for some other solution and gluten-free goodness.
Conclusion: Wheat starch is halal but not safe for some people.
Milk
To save costs, Pringles added milk to their ingredients. The vegan community did not take this new turn of events lightly, but the snack brand stood by its decision.
Conclusion: Milk is halal.
Whey
We wrote an article on whey protein and its halal status. Whey is a complete protein source gotten when milk is curdled by adding pepsin.
Conclusion: Pepsin is gotten from swine, and this is haram.
Flavours
There are over 100 flavours of Pringles worldwide. However, this article will be covering the halal status of the familiar flavours found in the UK.
Halal Pringles
Here are the flavours of Pringles permissible for consumption by Muslims:
Pringles Original
The original pringles crisps contain dried potatoes, vegetable oil, degerminated yellow corn flour, corn starch, rice flour, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, salt, and wheat starch.
They are:
- Pringles Cheesy Cheese
- Pringles Prawn Cocktail Flavour
- Pringles Thai Sweet Chilli
- Pringles Salt & Vinegar
- Pringles Cheese & Onion
- Pringles Paprika
- Pringles Sour Cream & Onion
- Pringles Hot & Spicy
- Pringles Smokey Bacon Flavour
- Pringles Sweet Chilli
- Pringles Piri Piri Chicken Flavour
- Pringles Steak
- Pringles Spicy BBQ Flavour
Pringles Xtra
All Pringles Xtra contains dehydrated potatoes, vegetable oils, rice flour, wheat starch, dextrose, flavour enhancers, disodium, citric acid, yeast extract, colour, emulsifier, maltodextrin and salt. They are:
- Pringles Xtra Kickin’ Sour Cream & Onion
- Pringles Xtra Spicy Chilli Sauce
- Pringles Xtra Cheesy Nacho Cheese
Pringles Tortilla Chips
Pringles Tortilla chips contain degerminated yellow corn flour, vegetable oil, corn masa, maltodextrin, dried black beans, sugar, mono- and diglycerides, salt, natural flavours, calcium chloride, sodium phosphate, annatto extract, wheat starch.
They are:
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Original
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Nacho Cheese
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Sour Cream
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Spicy Chilli
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Smokey BBQ
- Pringles Tortilla Chips Paprika
Pringles Rice Fusion
Ingredients in pringles rice fusion include rice flour, vegetable oils, curry seasoning, sugar, flavour enhancers, spices, cream powder, acidity regulator, colour, emulsifier, wheat starch, salt.
They are:
- Pringles Rice Fusion Japanese Katsu Curry
- Pringles Rice Fusion Malaysian Red Curry
- Pringles Rice Fusion Peking Duck with Hoisin Sauce
- Pringles Rice Fusion Indian Tandoori Chicken Masala
- Pringles Rice Fusion Japanese BBQ Teriyaki
Haram Pringles
Here are the flavours of Pringles that are not halal:
- Pringles Roast Chicken & Herbs
- Pringles Flame Grilled Steak Flavour
- Pringles Xtra Saucy BBQ
- Pringles Elemental
Conclusion
The best thing to do before eating your next pack of Pringles, or any other snack brand you enjoy, is to check the ingredients list.
If the snack contains whey, gelatin, lard, pepsin, rennin, or bacon, it is haram and not fit for consumption.
Fortunately, some companies like Chewwies are dedicated to producing halal-certified treats suitable for everyone in the family.
FAQ
Do Pringles contain pork enzymes?
Pringles do not contain pork or other animal enzymes. Some varieties of Pringles are halal and others are not halal since they contain not permissible ingredients.
Does Pringles contain pork oil?
Pringles does not contain pork oil, but halal vegetable oil.
What is the E471 in Pringles?
Emulsifier E471 in Pringles is actually mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids derived not from animals, but from plant sources.