End of an era: ProNutro disappears off shelves after 64 years

South Africans are having to say goodbye to one of the country’s most recognisable breakfast cereals after PepsiCo decided to pull the plug on ProNutro, ending a 64-year run for the iconic brand.

The decision follows months of backlash over a major reformulation that changed the cereal’s taste, texture and smell.

ProNutro was first developed in South Africa in 1962 and became a familiar part of breakfast tables across generations.

However, the product underwent a major overhaul earlier this year after PepsiCo said the ageing equipment used to manufacture the cereal had become obsolete.

The company said replacing the machinery on a like-for-like basis would have been prohibitively expensive and could have resulted in significantly higher prices for consumers.

New ProNutro sparks consumer backlash

The reformulated ProNutro quickly became the subject of widespread criticism, with consumers complaining about its new texture, aroma and flavour.

Some long-time customers said the cereal no longer resembled the ProNutro they had grown up eating, while social media posts highlighted complaints from parents whose children refused to eat the new product.

PepsiCo defended the changes, saying the new generation of ProNutro retained its plant-based protein base, 13 vitamins and four minerals, while containing less total sugar per serving.

The company also said it had conducted national consumer testing before the new product was launched.

However, the backlash continued.

PepsiCo subsequently acknowledged the strength of the reaction and said it would temporarily halt production while working on improvements to the product.

The company indicated that while the fundamental texture would not return to the original version, it was working on improving the mixability of the cereal.

End of an era

The decision marks the end of a remarkable chapter for a cereal that has been part of South African food culture since the early 1960s.

The ProNutro saga also highlights the risks facing manufacturers when changing long-established products with highly loyal consumer bases.

While PepsiCo has previously pointed to the environmental and manufacturing benefits of its new production process, including reductions in water use, packaging and carbon emissions, those changes failed to overcome the consumer reaction to the reformulated cereal.

For generations of South Africans, however, the biggest issue was much simpler: ProNutro no longer tasted like ProNutro.

Now, after 64 years, the familiar name appears set to disappear from South African breakfast tables.