PepsiCo discontinues ProNutro production in South Africa — Daily Maverick

In South Africa, PepsiCo has discontinued production of ProNutro breakfast cereal, a brand that had existed since 1962. As Daily Maverick reports, the brand owner explained the decision by the high cost of manufacturing the product.

Production costs

According to PepsiCo, producing ProNutro requires significant amounts of water and electricity. The company described the drum-drying process as particularly resource-intensive. PepsiCo said it was unable to replicate the product's properties in a cheaper way.

The Daily Maverick columnist writes that ProNutro was valued as a breakfast option containing protein. He also mentions that his family chose the product while trying to limit sugar consumption. In the columnist's view, the end of production could create an opportunity for another manufacturer to offer a similar nutritious product.

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Consumer reaction

The columnist drew attention to the importance of familiarity with specific products, particularly at breakfast. He critically assessed PepsiCo's previous attempt to launch a new flavour in very similar packaging. The author suggested that the company may have expected buyers not to notice the product change.

The column also mentions a 2018 case when Kellogg's launched vanilla-flavoured Rice Krispies with a higher sugar content while making only minimal changes to the packaging design. The author called such changes a reason for consumer dissatisfaction.

As an example of a different approach, Daily Maverick cites Tiger Brands. In July, the company reported growth in Jungle Oats sales during the summer after increasing promotional activity during that period. Its CEO, Tjaart Kruger, said consumers eat oats throughout the year, not only in winter.