A South African food company based in the United Kingdom has offered to buy the ProNutro brand from PepsiCo. The move follows PepsiCo’s decision to stop making the breakfast cereal.
Biltong & Bangers made its offer on Heritage Day, Cape Town ETC reported. The company said it wants the original recipe, the brand’s intellectual property, the production know-how and the old manufacturing equipment.
“We’re talking the ORIGINAL recipe, the relevant IP, production know-how and all the old equipment,” the company said in its message.
The business posted the offer on social media. It asked PepsiCo a simple question: “So…how much do you want for it?”
PepsiCo confirmed on 23 September that it was ending ProNutro production in South Africa. The company said the decision came after a long review.
According to PepsiCo, the cereal’s factory equipment had become old and unreliable. This caused problems with making the product.
PepsiCo had earlier tried to launch a new version called New Generation ProNutro. Consumers complained about its taste and texture, and said it did not mix well. PepsiCo then stopped production of the new version.
The company said it looked at ways to bring back the original cereal. It said it could not match the taste and texture that customers expected. PepsiCo then chose to discontinue the brand instead of selling a product that had let buyers down.
Biltong & Bangers has sold ProNutro to South Africans living in the UK for the past 18 years. Its main business is biltong, boerewors and South African food shops in the UK.
The company admitted that running a cereal factory is outside its usual work. It said it believes South Africa has the people and technical skills needed to look into bringing the product back.
Its plan is to gather South African experts to see if the old production process can be restarted. The company said it wants to keep manufacturing in South Africa, which could also create jobs.
According to Biltong & Bangers, thousands of people commented on its posts about ProNutro. Many said they supported the idea of keeping the original cereal alive.
Some commenters offered help with contracts, instruments, cereal production and finding raw materials. Others asked if they could invest, or suggested raising money through crowdfunding to pay for the brand.
The company ended its Heritage Day message with a well-known Afrikaans saying: “‘n Boer maak ‘n plan.”
Biltong & Bangers called its message an “official expression of interest” and invited PepsiCo to contact it if the company is willing to sell. There is no sign that PepsiCo has agreed to a sale or that talks have started. For now, ProNutro remains discontinued.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Cape Town ETC. Image: Cape Town ETC. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.