PepsiCo Apologises to South Africans Over ProNutro Formula Change and Pulls It From Shelves

PepsiCo has apologised to South Africans after its reformulated ProNutro sparked a massive backlash across the country. The manufacturer changed the recipe in April, rolling out a new version with less sugar to stores nationwide. Consumers pushed back hard, and the company listened.

PepsiCo confirmed it would temporarily pull ProNutro from shelves while it works on improvements. The manufacturer said mixability was the main issue it needed to sort out. South Africans should expect to see gaps on shelves for a while.

Mzansi wasn’t having it

Consumers flooded social media with complaints the moment the new product appeared in stores. Words like “awful” and “watery” came up repeatedly across platforms, including Reddit. Many said that the texture and flavour bore little resemblance to the cereal they grew up with.

The backlash was loud enough to draw in a well-known consumer journalist. PepsiCo acknowledged that the reformulation had led to noticeable changes in texture and taste. The company said that national consumer testing had been conducted before the launch.

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The brand defended the new recipe on social media, saying it was the original pushed further. It said the updated version still delivers high energy, plant-based protein, and 13 vitamins and four minerals. The biggest shift is a 45% reduction in total sugar per 100g.

PepsiCo told consumers it would keep them updated as work on the recipe continues. The company asked South Africans for patience and thanked them for their honesty.

See the full report by bizcommunity here:

Source: Briefly News