Bizzare Facts

The crunchy, saddle-shaped, hyperbolic paraboloid known as the **Pringle** is one of the most recognizable snacks in the world, yet its very identity has been the subject of bizarre legal scrutiny. Because a Pringle is made from a dehydrated potato-flake-and-water slurry—a kind of potato dough—and not from thin slices of whole potatoes, it technically fails to meet the legal definition of a 'potato chip' in many jurisdictions.

In a famous UK court case over taxation, the manufacturer argued they shouldn't be taxed as potato chips because the product was less than 50% potato. Though the initial ruling allowed them to skirt the tax, the final appeal ruled in favor of the taxman, declaring them similar enough to be considered a 'potato snack.'

This legal oddity highlights the intense scrutiny placed on food labeling. It proves that the iconic, uniform shape and texture—designed by a chemist named Fredric Baur to prevent breakage and allow perfect stacking—are not just a matter of marketing, but a fundamental technical and legal distinction that separates the Pringle from its traditional chip brethren.