[Music] Pringles not just a snack but a revolution in a can since its debut in 1968 Pringles have literally reshaped the snack aisle with their unmistakable saddle shape and iconic cylindrical can that rakes in over $3 billion every year the genius behind this snacking Marvel was Frederick Bower a chemist at Proctor and Gamble who envisioned a solution to the common complaints about traditional potato chips too greasy always broken and half- filled bags that seemed to be more air than chips Frederick's mission was to create a chip that retained its shape and freshness in a package
that was both convenient and stylish his outcome was nothing short of a snacking sensation a chip that stayed crisp and tasty and neatly stacked in a can that kept every piece intact until the very last crunch Proctor and Gamble ini marketed them as Pringles new fangled potato chips and their novel appeal quickly brought some unexpected scrutiny it soon became apparent that the name potato chip didn't quite fit the bill since they're made with about 42% dehydrated potato flakes not whole potatoes and include a blend of other ingredients like rice flour and wheat starch so consequently
in 1975 the FDA mandated they be rebranded from potato chips to potato crisps a change that clarified la aing in North America but caused some confusion in the UK where potato chips are traditionally referred to as crisps so what exactly goes into a pringle if they're not entirely whole potatoes let's peel back the lid and go inside the factory to see the fascinating process that takes humble potato flakes and turns them into the poppable phenomenon we know as [Music] Pringles the potato flakes for Pringles begin with large batches of highquality fresh potatoes and these spuds
have a thrilling multi-step journey ahead of them as soon as they arrive at the factory they're whisked onto a conveyor belt and immediately taken to the washing [Music] station this isn't just any rinse though the potatoes are soaked in this large tank where a hydro washer agitates the water loosening any dirt and debris clinging to their surfaces now squeaky clean the potatoes are prepped for peeling to get rid of their skins the spuds tumble into this large drum lined with a surface that's as rough as very coarse sandpaper as they spin and dance around the
abrasive texture gently rubs away their skin removing any layers that might get in the way of a silky smooth Pringle after shedding their skins the potatoes are on the move again this time along this conveyor that leads them to The Cutting station but first they take a quick detour into this blanching bath this quick dip in hot water does double duty it not only softens the potatoes to facilitate a smooth even cut but also helps inactivate enzymes that could affect the taste and color of the final chip the machine used to cut the spuds rolls
them in this giant cylinder spinning at 1,00 times per minute as the potatoes reach the top they come in contact with a blade that slices them almost as soon as that happens the sliced potatoes are cut into strips just as quickly another set of rotating blades chops the strips into little cubes This Blink and you'll miss it process is essential for making the following steps easier next the potato cubes continue traveling along the conveyor until they're dropped onto a separate vibrating belt the vibrations help to make sure that freshly cut pieces don't Clump together which
could cause problems several cameras also check for any blemishes or bad spots on the spuds to cook them the cubes are dropped into 185° F boiling water where they'll stay for about 2 minutes even though it's a short period this process helps ensure that potatoes don't turn to Mush when they are sent through the giant steam cooker this giant machine then steam Cooks the Cubes at a temperature of 345° f [Music] now that the Spud cubes are cooked to Perfection It's Time to whip them up into a smooth lump free Mash that sets the stage
for every Pringles crisp this transformation happens inside this giant industrial drum where a robust metal arm tirelessly churns the cubes into an impeccably smooth potato mash now the real magic begins the prepared potato mash under goes a significant transformation applied uniformly onto this large rotating drum dryer the mash is exposed to intense heat as the drum spins moisture is quickly evaporated from the mash forming it into thin and pliable sheets this process not only preserves the flavor and quality of the potatoes but also prepares the dried product for precise Milling into the fine potato flakes
used for the Pringles dough now that the potato sheets are perfectly dried it's crunch time they're now turned into the essential building blocks of every Pringle the potato flakes the dried sheets are fed through this milling machine where a series of sharp blades break the sheets down into perfectly proportioned flakes to the untrained eye these flakes look like something you'd have for breakfast in the morning or even sand the next stage is where the whole potatoes begin their transition into the unique base that sets Pringles apart from ordinary potato chips I with our potato flakes
at the ready it's time to bring in The Supporting Cast of ingredients in this large mixer the flakes are combined with water corn starch rice flour wheat starch degerminated yellow cornflour maltodextrin diglycerides salt and emulsifiers in which ensures the mixture stays fresh and stable throughout the rest of the process when the mixture is complete the potato flake dough will resemble coarse wet sand instead of the dough used for making bread next the dough mixture rides on this conveyor belt that sends it through an augur which evenly spreads the dough across the conveyor ensuring that each
portion has uniform consistency setting the stage for the perfect roll [Music] out once evenly spread on the conveyor the dough continues through this giant roller that presses it with four tons of pressure into a long and very thin sheet just 1 mm in thickness without knowing that it's actually made from potato flakes you could very easily mistake it for a giant sheet of paper or [Music] linen as the Thin dough sheet continues its Journey it's fed into a giant rolling cutter that slices the dough into oval shapes at this point the snack begins to resemble
the shape Millions know it for here's a fun fact inside the Pringles Factory workers have a playful nickname for these shapes they call them doils a clever Twist on the word ovals Once the dough has been cut into DVS the remaining unused dough is pulled Along by a different belt rather than being thrown away it's recycled and sent back into the mixing stage ready to be rolled out and shaped once again this recycling Loop is a simple but clever way to minimize waste and keep production efficient as for the oval cut dough its Journey continues
towards the fryer where it will take on its famous saddle shape while in the fryer a large roller molds the dough slices into a thin concave shape or if you want to get more technical this shape is what mathematicians would call a hyperbolic paraboloid during this process the Pringles are cooked in hot oil at 392 de f for about 11 seconds this step serves two purposes the first is to lock in their shape and the second is to give them their desired crisp golden finish that sets the stage for their satisfying crunch now that they're
fully cooked the Pringles are sent through a hot air blower which gets rid of excess oil and lowers the temperature to about 104° F then the conveyor carries them under a Cascade of seasoning that ensures each Pringle gets the perfect amount on the top side the flavor of the toppings will change depending on the types of Pringles being made from the classic Tang of sour cream and onion to the Savory goodness of pizza and the rich Taste of cheddar cheese each Pringle is meticulously flavored daily Pringles utilizes more than 5,952 lbs of spices to season
its expansive range of 160 flavors what's your go-to flavor drop your favorite in the comments and see who shares your taste after they've been seasoned the Pringles are sent along another conveyor belt thanks to their unique s shape they naturally fall into neat piles simplifying the tasks that lie ahead in the production line as they continue their Journey a quality control person inspects the Pringles specifically they are looking for any that might have been broken by the process are under seasoned or have any flaws that would drop a pringle below its desired quality at this
point the Pringles are on their way to being packed into one of the famous canisters along the way they are shaken up a bit by a different conveyor belt to ensure the Pringles aren't aren't all clumped together the stacks of Pringles are then placed on scales to ensure the proper amount of weight goes into each canister before an automated spoon feeds the stacks into the open end of a canister once inside automated guides tap the closed end of the tube to nudge the Pringles into position once the canisters are neatly filled with perfectly stacked Pringles
they advance to the ceiling station here automated machines precisely apply the tear off freshness seals to the tops of each canister this ures that each chip remains perfectly crisp from the factory floor to your first pop of the lid now mechanical arms lower the canisters to a separate station once there a spinning machine attaches metal bottoms to each can this final step closes the canisters and seals them tight locking in the freshness on the opposite end the canisters are already fitted with the plastic lid did you know that across the globe Pringles offers its delectable
snacks in five different canister sizes catering to all sorts of appetites before shipping Pringles undergo a unique quality control test where flavor experts conduct blind taste tests under red lighting this setup prevents visual judgments based on the Chip's appearance focusing solely on taste testers evaluate each Pringle on its dness texture and seasoning by placing its seasoned side up on their tongue and fully experiencing the flavor as they chew if a single chip fails the entire batch that the Pringle came from is tossed after passing strict quality control tests for Taste texture and appearance Pringles begin
their journey to Consumers the canisters are packed into boxes and loaded onto trucks for distribution these boxes then travel to distribution centers around the globe before reaching retail stores and supermarkets ensuring Pringles lovers can always find their favorite flavors so as we can see despite being thin slightly potato flavored and crunchy Pringles are definitely not potato chips and if you're in the UK they aren't exactly crisps either no matter what you call them Pringles and their inventors chemist Fred Bower and researcher Alexander Lepa changed the snack industry forever thanks for joining us on this incredible
journey through the Pringles Factory if you liked what you saw remember to like And subscribe to M vision for more fascinating content we'll see you next time