Has ProNutro already disappeared from SA shelves?
· The South African
South Africans have been left asking a simple question following the news that ProNutro is being discontinued after 64 years: Has the breakfast cereal already disappeared from store shelves?
The South African went looking for one last box of the iconic cereal in the southern suburbs of Cape Town on Heritage Day.
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Alas, trips to Pick n Pay, Spar and Checkers left us empty-handed.
It appears there is no old stock – or any remaining stock, for that matter.
Perhaps even more puzzlingly, store managers at all three supermarkets appeared unaware that the once-beloved South African breakfast staple was being discontinued.
Anger and nostalgia
The announcement by PepsiCo has sparked an outpouring of anger, nostalgia and confusion among consumers who have grown up with ProNutro.
The company confirmed that ProNutro would be discontinued in South Africa after efforts to recreate the taste and texture associated with the original product proved unsuccessful.
The decision follows months of complaints about New Generation ProNutro, particularly its taste, texture and mixability.
‘If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?’
Social media users have wasted little time expressing their frustration.
“Mess with a winning formula,” Ashley Bügler commented.
Firoze Bhorat was even more direct: “If it ain’t broke why try to fix it.”
Corne Roos Van Zyl asked: “Why couldn’t you just continue with the old recipe? It worked!”
Another consumer, Sabelo Nkwanyana, questioned why the recipe could not simply be sold to another company that would continue producing ProNutro.
Earlier complaints focused heavily on New Generation ProNutro, with consumers saying it tasted and behaved differently from the cereal they had known for decades.
One Reddit user described the new product as a “fake”, while another jokingly called it “FauxNutro”.
‘Get ProNutro back!’
For some consumers, the news is more than just the disappearance of another breakfast cereal.
“Get ProNutro back on the shelves! Otherwise we’ll sleep forever!” Santie Nompi Croeser wrote.
Marieta McGrath described the reformulated version as “the most expensive cement there is” – although she added that it was “good cement”.
Others admitted they had already moved on.
“I’ve never liked ProNutro,” Amelia Myburgh commented.
Sharon Anne du Toit said the cereal had become too expensive for her to continue buying, although she still insisted there was “nothing better than banana ProNutro and black coffee.”
Why was ProNutro discontinued?
PepsiCo previously explained that ageing production equipment had become unreliable, forcing changes to the manufacturing process.
The company introduced New Generation ProNutro, saying it retained the cereal’s nutritional benefits while offering a more sustainable production process.
However, consumers complained that the new product no longer delivered the familiar ProNutro experience.
PepsiCo said it listened to those concerns and investigated ways to bring back the original product.
It ultimately concluded that it could not recreate the taste and texture associated with the original cereal and decided to discontinue ProNutro.
A 64-year South African tradition ends
ProNutro first appeared in South Africa in 1962 and became a familiar part of breakfast tables across the country.
After 64 years, the brand’s long-running South African chapter is coming to an end.
For now, consumers may still spot ProNutro in some stores, depending on remaining stock.
But once those boxes are gone, South Africans will have to find a new breakfast favourite.
RIP ProNutro.
Have you spotted ProNutro on store shelves this week?
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