Pringles Smokey Bacon Crisps, 165g

Smokey bacon is one of the savoury classics, and Pringles Smokey Bacon puts it on the formed, stackable Pringles crisp. This is the 165g tube, which the label suggests serves five to six. The full product name on the pack is Smokey Bacon Flavour Savoury Snack.

The crisp

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from dehydrated potatoes, sunflower oil, wheat flour, corn flour, rice flour, a bacon seasoning, maltodextrin, an emulsifier (E471), salt and a colour, annatto norbixin. The potato and flour dough is pressed into the curved Pringles shape, which gives every crisp the same thickness and an even, crumbly snap.

A bacon taste without bacon

The bacon seasoning lists yeast powder, dextrose, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate), rusk powder (wheat), salt, onion powder, flavourings, paprika extract for colour, garlic powder, citric acid and sweet whey powder (milk). There is no meat on the list, and the pack says the crisps are suitable for vegetarians.

Yeast powder leads the seasoning, and it is the key to the meaty taste: yeast is naturally rich in glutamates, the compounds behind the savoury depth of cured meat, gravy and aged cheese. The three flavour enhancers strengthen that depth further. Dextrose gives the gentle sweetness of a cured rasher, onion and garlic give the frying pan smell, and the flavourings carry the smoke. Rusk powder, made from baked wheat, helps carry the seasoning and adds a toasted note.

Salt: the number to note

Salt appears twice on the label, in the seasoning and again in the crisp itself, and the label gives 1.6g of salt per 100g. On the UK front of pack scale that is red, because anything above 1.5g per 100g is coloured high. Per 30g serving it is 0.48g, about 8% of an average adult's daily reference intake. Among the Pringles we stock, only Salt and Vinegar is saltier, at 1.9g per 100g.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 30g serving, 156 kcal (650 kJ), 8.7g of fat, 0.8g of saturates, 17g of carbohydrate, 0.8g of sugars, 1.1g of fibre, 2g of protein and 0.48g of salt. Per 100g it is 519 kcal, 29g of fat, 2.7g of saturates, 56g of carbohydrate, 2.8g of sugars, 3.6g of fibre, 6.6g of protein and 1.6g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

Per 100g, fat at 29g is red, saturates at 2.7g amber, sugars at 2.8g green and salt at 1.6g red. Two reds, fat and salt, is the pattern to expect from a strongly seasoned savoury crisp.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight cereals containing gluten, from the wheat flour in the dough and the rusk powder in the seasoning, and milk, from the sweet whey powder. The published listing gives no may contain advice for this tube. The pack says the crisps are suitable for vegetarians. They are not vegan, because of the milk, and not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. 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 can be recycled and the seal should not be. The pack names Kellogg's, at MediaCityUK in Salford, as the distributor.

Serving the tube

Smokey bacon suits a savoury spread: cheese, pickles, a pork pie or a plate of sandwiches. It is also a good crisp beside a tomato soup or a bowl of baked beans, where the smoky note fits. Pass the tube round, or pour a stack into a bowl.

In the kitchen

Crushed, smokey bacon Pringles make a savoury crumb for a macaroni cheese, a leek and potato bake or a cauliflower cheese. They give a bacon like note to a vegetarian dish, since the pack says they are suitable for vegetarians.

A 30g serving in context

At 156 kcal and 0.48g of salt, a 30g serving is a modest bowl, and the tube holds five to six of them, as the label suggests. Because the salt is high per 100g, it is worth pouring a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the tube.

Other Pringles flavours

In the same 165g tube we stock Pringles Original, Sour Cream and Onion, Cheese and Onion, Salt and Vinegar, Paprika, Texas BBQ Sauce and Prawn Cocktail. For a lower salt Pringle, Original and Sour Cream and Onion both show 0.62g per 100g on their labels, and Prawn Cocktail 0.55g.

Storage

The label points to the base of the tube for the best before date. Store the tube in a cool, dry place and press the lid on firmly once opened.

Other 165g packs of Pringles 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.