South Africans will no longer find ProNutro on store shelves after PepsiCo confirmed that the 64-year-old cereal brand has been discontinued, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The decision follows months of complaints over a reformulated version of the much-loved breakfast cereal, with consumers raising concerns about its taste, texture and ability to mix properly.
PepsiCo’s customer care service confirmed the discontinuation and said the company had tried to find a way to restore the product experience consumers remembered.
‘We listened and explored options to bring back the original product experience, but we were unable to recreate the taste and texture consumers associated with the original ProNutro,’ the company said.
The news comes after a major consumer backlash earlier this year when shoppers noticed changes to the cereal.
Complaints quickly spread across social media, with many consumers saying the new version tasted different and had an unusual texture. PepsiCo subsequently apologised to South African consumers and explained that ageing production equipment had become unreliable.
The company said the machinery had become outdated and could affect product quality, leading to the introduction of a new production process.
At the time, PepsiCo acknowledged concerns about the cereal’s texture and mixability and said it would work on improvements. The original formulation, however, was not expected to return.
That effort has now ended with the brand’s complete withdrawal from the South African market. ‘After a long and careful review, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue ProNutro in South Africa. We are grateful for the support consumers have shown the brand over many years,’ PepsiCo said.
ProNutro first launched in South Africa in 1962 and became known as the world’s first nutraceutical cereal. Its Original High-Protein Cereal provided plant-based protein and energy, along with 13 vitamins and four minerals.
Its history also stretches back to efforts to address protein deficiency and malnutrition in South Africa. The South African Institute for Medical Research developed the brand during a period when nutritional deficiencies were a significant concern.
Over the decades, ProNutro expanded beyond its original offering, with flavours including chocolate, banana and strawberry. Other varieties, including wholewheat honey melt and honey, were eventually discontinued.
For now, the end of ProNutro marks the disappearance of a familiar South African breakfast staple that has been part of grocery cupboards for generations.
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