For a snack to be called a chip, it must meet certain requirements that are approved by other snack producers. Pringles have been called chips for as long as I can remember especially in the U.S. I think the name chips originated from Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips, the company that produces them.
Unfortunately, snack-producing companies have rejected the fact that Pringles were referred to as chips. This was a wrong brand name because according to them Pringles are not chips from the way they are made.
However, an exception was made where the company was allowed to use the word chip in their snack slogan. To avoid more controversies and conflicts, the company decided to shift from using chips to crisps which doesn’t sound quite bad.
Controversial opinions emerged where some people argued that Pringles can be called potato chip because they are made of potatoes flour while other companies like Proctor& Gamble argued that since Pringles contain about 40 percent of potato flour and some portion of corn, rice and wheat they should not be referred to as potato chip.
However, they can be called savory snacks. In my opinion, Pringles don’t qualify to be called chips because they do not meet the conditions to be referred to that way. Any product that is labeled chip must be made from whole potatoes that are thinly sliced and hydrated by frying and seasoning. Sometimes they could be dipped in flour.
Pringles are a combination of potatoes flour, wheat, rice, and corn. Only 40 percent of it is potato, which is a very small portion to qualify it as a chip. From my explanation, the process of making Pringles is very different from how the normal chips should be made. So it is unethical to refer them to as chips.
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