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Kettle Foods, Inc.
A bag of sea salt and vinegar-flavored Kettle potato chips
Product typePotato chips
OwnerCampbell Soup (2018–present)
CountryUnited States
Introduced1978; 46 years ago (1978) (as N.S. Khalsa Company)
MarketsUnited States, Canada, Europe, Middle East
Previous owners
Websitewww.kettlebrand.com

Kettle Foods, Inc. is an American manufacturer of potato chips, based in Salem, Oregon, United States, with a European and Middle East headquarters in Norwich, United Kingdom. As of 2006 they were the largest natural potato chip brand in the U.S.[1]

The company, founded in 1978 by Cameron Healy as "N.S. Khalsa Company", was previously sold to Lion Capital in 2006 and was owned by Diamond Foods from 2010 to 2016. In February 2016, Snyder's-Lance finalized their purchase of Diamond Foods.[2] Snyder's-Lance (and their Kettle Foods division) was purchased by Camden, New Jersey–based Campbell Soup Company in March 2018.[3]

History

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The company was founded by Cameron Healy in 1978 as the "N.S. Khalsa Company"; it produced its first potato chips in 1982.[4]

In 1988, following a motorcycle trip taken by the company's founder and his son, Kettle Foods established a UK branch in a converted shoe factory in Norwich, Norfolk, England; the branch moved five years later to its current UK home, a newly built factory on the outskirts of Norwich.[5]

In 2003, the company installed the largest solar array in the Pacific Northwest with the goal of using more green energy at their Salem plant.[6][7]

The company was sold in 2006 to a British private equity group, Lion Capital LLP, for $280–320 million.[8]

In September 2007, the company opened its second US production facility in Beloit, Wisconsin, after receiving $500,000 in state economic development money.[9] Kettle built the first manufacturing plant to be awarded gold certification in the LEED program from the United States Green Building Council.[9]

In October 2007, campaigns were launched on Facebook calling for a boycott of Kettle Foods products[10] following allegations that the company was attempting to dissuade workers at its Norwich factory from joining the Unite trade union. The company denied the claim but acknowledged that it had taken advice from Omega Training,[11] a UK subsidiary of the U.S. company The Burke Group, specialists in union avoidance.[12]

In August 2008, California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a settlement with Kettle Foods, the makers of Cape Cod Potato Chips, and Frito-Lay for violating the state's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. The state had alleged in 2005 that the potato chips from the companies failed to document that they contained high levels of acrylamide, a carcinogen. Kettle Foods paid $350,000 in civil penalties and costs and agreed to cut their potato chips' levels of acrylamide to 275 parts per billion by 2011, an 87% reduction.[13][third-party source needed][14]

Lion Capital put Kettle Foods up for sale in December 2009, with an asking price of around US$700 million[8] and in February 2010 sold it for $615 million to California-based Diamond Foods, which owns brands such as Pop Secret popcorn.[15] The sale was finalized the following month.[16]

Outside of the US and UK

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The Kettle Foods UK office also supports a network of independent distributors through which Kettle Foods' products are made available to countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden.[17]

Kettle Foods is unaffiliated with the Kettle Chip brand sold in Australia which is owned by Snack Brands Australia.

Potato chips

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Kettle Foods products, marketed as all-natural, is best-known for its potato chips.[18] Their potato chips are fried using expeller-pressed high-monounsaturated safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil. The company has occasionally held contests to introduce new flavors. The 2006 contest winners were "Tuscan Three Cheese" and "Buffalo Bleu", a spicy, savory chip; past contest winners include "Cheddar Beer", "Jalapeno Jack" and "Spicy Thai".[19]

Ingredients

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As of 2016, the ingredients for the company's most basic chip ("Sea Salt") were: potatoes, safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil, sea salt. Many other flavors use ingredients like natural flavors, spices, citric acid, and yeast extract.

Flavors

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The following is a list of potato chip flavors sold by the company (as of 2018):

United States[20]

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  • Backyard Barbeque
  • Bourbon BBQ
  • Dill Pickle (Krinkle Cut)
  • Honey Dijon
  • Habanero Lime (Krinkle Cut)
  • Jalapeño
  • Korean BBQ
  • Carolina BBQ
  • New York Cheddar
  • Pepperoncini
  • Parmesan Garlic
  • Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (Krinkle Cut)
  • Sea Salt
  • Sea Salt & Vinegar
  • Sour Cream & Onion
  • Spicy Queso (Krinkle Cut)
  • Spicy Thai
  • Sriracha
  • Truffle & Sea Salt (Krinkle Cut)
  • Unsalted[note 1]
  • Jalapeno Jack[note 1]
  • Red Chili[note 1]
  • Salsa with Mesquite[note 1]

United Kingdom[22]

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  • Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
  • Gressingham Duck (Plum Sauce and Spring onion)
  • Jalapeño Chilli
  • Lightly Salted
  • Mature Cheddar & Red Onion
  • No Added Salt
  • Sea Salt with Crushed Black Peppercorns
  • Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar
  • Smoky Barbecue
  • Sour Cream and Onion
  • Spicy Chilli
  • Steakhouse Barbecue
  • Sweet Chilli (& Sour Cream)

Rest of Europe and the Middle East, as of 2013[23]

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  • Sea Salt
  • Honey Barbecue
  • Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream
  • Sour Cream & Sweet Onion
  • Sea Salt, Rosemary & Garlic
  • Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
  • Mature Cheddar & Red Onion
  • Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar
  • Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper
  • Chilli with Jalapeño & Red Chillies
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Limited editions.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Kish, Matthew. Kettle Foods sold to British group Archived March 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Portland Business Journal, August 9, 2006.
  2. ^ "Snyder's-Lance Completes Acquisition of Diamond Foods, Inc". PR Newswire. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  3. ^ "Charlotte-based Snyder's-Lance snack company sold to Campbell Soup Co". wsoctv.com. March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  4. ^ "KettleFoods.com :: Our History". Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  5. ^ Our story so far Archived March 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, from the company's UK website
  6. ^ Kettle Foods Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine from the Energy Trust website
  7. ^ Kettle foods Archived December 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine from the state of Oregon website
  8. ^ a b "Kettle Foods for sale". Portland Business Journal. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Kettle Foods Opens Green Plant In Beloit". WISC-TV. September 20, 2007. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  10. ^ Consumers start online campaign to boycott Kettle Chips Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, an October 9, 2007 article from The Guardian
  11. ^ Internet campaign to boycott foods Archived copy, an October 11, 2007 article from Norwich Evening News
  12. ^ "The Burke Group". Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  13. ^ "Atty. Gen. Brown Settles Potato Chip Lawsuit With Heinz, Frito-Lay & Kettle Foods". Press Release. State of California. August 1, 2008. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011. Under today's settlements, Frito-Lay, Inc., which sells most of the potato chips sold in California, Kettle Foods, Inc., maker of "Kettle Chips," and Lance, Inc., maker of Cape Cod Chips will reduce acrylamide over a period of three years to 275 parts per billion. For Frito Lay, this is about a 20% reduction, while for Kettle Chips, which contain far more acrylamide, this is an 87% reduction in acrylamide.
  14. ^ Lazarus, David (August 6, 2008). "A stone wall made of potato chips". Consumer Confidential. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  15. ^ Bloomberg News (February 26, 2010). "Kettle Foods of Salem sold for $615M". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  16. ^ "Diamond wraps up acquisition of Kettle Foods". The Oregonian. The Oregonian. March 31, 2010. Archived from the original on April 3, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
  17. ^ Just for retailers Archived May 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine from the company's European website
  18. ^ Kettlebrand. "Homepage". Kettle Brand. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  19. ^ And the winner is... from the company's website Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Our Products". Kettle Foods. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  21. ^ "Kettle Chips' 30th anniversary". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  22. ^ "Our Hand Cooked Chips". Kettle Foods Ltd. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  23. ^ "Our Hand Cooked Chips". Kettle Foods Ltd. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
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