Respect Authority

You heard it here first: Pringles are indeed a chip. 

A British appeals court ruled Wednesday that the taxman does have the right to charge the country’s “Value Added Tax” on the many-flavored treat, putting an end to the multi-year argument from Pringle maker Procter & Gamble that their product should be exempt from the tax because it’s a “savory food” rather than a potato crisp. 

Law states that the VAT should apply to “potato crisps, potato sticks, potato puffs and similar products made from the potato, or from potato flour, or from potato starch, and savoury products obtained by the swelling of cereals or cereal products; and salted or roasted nuts other than nuts in a shell” which is a long-winded way of saying “Fuck you Pringles, you wanted in the big wide world of potato foods, now accept the consequences.” And sorry P&G rep Roderick Cordara, not only is “potatoness” not a word, but if it were, I would say Pringles definitely have enough potatosity to qualify. 

Despite their seemingly endless attempt to beat out Lays, Doritos and other chip-makers in the food world, Pringles have not historically done well with press. I will never forget reports that the chips’ low-fat and fat-free incarnations led to, well, “anal leakage.” Nor can I truly support any chip company that considers it necessary to have 12 different flavors, among them thing like “loaded baked potato” and “spicy guacamole.”

Seems that once you pop, the fun actually can stop.