South Africans may not have seen the last of the original ProNutro after a food company formally expressed interest in buying the cereal brand from PepsiCo.
UK-based South African food company Biltong & Bangers wants to acquire ProNutro after PepsiCo confirmed that production of the breakfast cereal would end in South Africa.
According to Cape Town ETC, the company submitted its expression of interest on Heritage Day following a strong public reaction to news that ProNutro was being discontinued.
Company wants original ProNutro recipe
Biltong & Bangers is not only interested in the ProNutro name.
Its proposal includes buying the original recipe, relevant intellectual property, production knowledge and old manufacturing equipment.
The company hopes South African experts could help determine whether the original production process can be restarted.
Biltong & Bangers has sold ProNutro to South Africans living in the UK for the past 18 years. However, the business acknowledged that cereal manufacturing falls outside its usual operations, which focus on South African food products including biltong and boerewors.
Why PepsiCo discontinued ProNutro
PepsiCo confirmed on 23 September that it would stop producing ProNutro following a lengthy review.
According to Cape Town ETC, the company said ageing manufacturing equipment had become outdated and unreliable.
A newer version called New Generation ProNutro was introduced but received criticism from consumers over its taste, texture and how it mixed.
PepsiCo investigated whether it could bring back the original product but said it was unable to reproduce the taste and texture consumers expected. It then decided to discontinue the cereal.
No ProNutro deal confirmed yet
Despite the potential comeback, no sale has been agreed.
Biltong & Bangers has described its approach as an official expression of interest and invited PepsiCo to make contact if it is willing to sell.
The company also said its proposal could keep production in South Africa and potentially create jobs if manufacturing can successfully be restarted.
For now, ProNutro remains discontinued and there is no indication that PepsiCo and Biltong & Bangers are negotiating a sale.
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