Pringles Original Crisps, 165g

Pringles Original is the plain one: the formed, saddle shaped Pringles crisp with salt and nothing else on top. This is the 165g tube, which the label suggests serves five to six. The full product name on the pack is simply Savoury Snack.

A short ingredients list

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from dehydrated potatoes, sunflower oil, corn flour, wheat flour, rice flour, maltodextrin, an emulsifier (E471), rapeseed oil, reduced sodium sea salt and a colour, annatto norbixin. That is the whole list. There is no seasoning blend, no milk ingredient and no flavour enhancer, which is why this is the plainest Pringle and the one the published listing says is suitable for vegans.

Reduced sodium sea salt

The salt on this tube is described as reduced sodium sea salt. Salt on a UK label is calculated from sodium, so a salt with less sodium in it gives a lower salt figure for the same salty taste. The label shows the result: 0.62g of salt per 100g. The smaller 40g Pringles Original we stock lists ordinary salt, and its label gives 1g per 100g, which makes the 165g tube the lower salt way to buy the same flavour.

Formed from a dough

Pringles are not slices of potato. Dehydrated potato and three flours, corn, wheat and rice, are made into a dough, which is pressed into the same curved shape every time. The emulsifier helps the oil and dough combine evenly, and maltodextrin, a mild starch powder, helps with texture. The result is a crisp with the same thickness all the way across and an even, crumbly snap, and a shape that stacks so neatly that the tube can be packed full.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 30g serving, 158 kcal (661 kJ), 9.3g of fat, 0.9g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 0.3g of sugars, 1.2g of fibre, 1.9g of protein and 0.19g of salt. That serving is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 3% of the salt. Per 100g it is 528 kcal, 31g of fat, 3g of saturates, 54g of carbohydrate, 0.9g of sugars, 4.1g of fibre, 6.2g of protein and 0.62g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 31g is red. Saturates at 3g are amber. Sugars at 0.9g are green; nothing sweet is added. Salt at 0.62g is amber, in the lower part of its band.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight cereals containing gluten, from the wheat flour. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain milk and soya. The published listing says they are suitable for vegans and marks them as halal, so they suit vegetarians too. They are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. If milk is a serious allergy, note the may contain advice. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

The tube and its recycling

The label says the tube is packaged in a protective atmosphere. The published recycling guidance says the lid and the tube can be recycled, and the seal should not be. The label points to the base of the tube for the best before date and to the top of the can for where it was produced, and names Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Ltd, at MediaCityUK in Salford, as the distributor.

Why a plain Pringle is useful

With no seasoning, Original goes with anything: every dip, every sandwich, every snack board. It is the Pringle to put out when you do not know guests' tastes, the one to pack for a child who dislikes strong flavours, and the one to use as a neutral, even base for canapés. Because every crisp is the same shape, a tube of Original turns into a plate of neat bites with a spoon of soft cheese, smoked salmon or guacamole on each.

Serving ideas

Serve a stack with salsa, guacamole, houmous or a soured cream dip, or beside a burger instead of fries. At a party, put a tube of Original next to a flavoured tube so there is always a plain option, and label it as the tube the published listing marks suitable for vegans.

A 30g serving in context

The label's 30g serving is 158 kcal and 0.19g of salt, and the tube holds five to six servings. With no seasoning to taste, Original is also the easiest Pringle to portion: a serving fills a small bowl, and the lid keeps the rest fresh.

The colour

The only colour listed is annatto norbixin, a natural colour from the seeds of the achiote shrub, which gives the crisps their even golden tone.

Other Pringles flavours

In the same 165g tube we stock Pringles Sour Cream and Onion, Cheese and Onion, Salt and Vinegar, Paprika, Smokey Bacon, Texas BBQ Sauce and Prawn Cocktail. For a single portion there is a 40g tube of Original.

Storage

Store the tube in a cool, dry place and press the lid on firmly once opened.

Sizes of Pringles Original Crisps we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.