PepsiCo, a global food and beverage company, has discontinued ProNutro in South Africa after its attempt to modernise the 64-year-old breakfast cereal failed to recreate the taste, texture and mixability consumers associated with the original product.

The decision follows the introduction of New Generation ProNutro earlier this year, which was developed after PepsiCo identified ageing manufacturing infrastructure and unreliable equipment performance affecting the legacy production process. PepsiCo acquired the ProNutro brand through its $1.7 billion acquisition of Pioneer Foods in 2020.

New formulation triggers consumer backlash

ProNutro, produced by Pioneer Foods’ Bokomo, was launched in South Africa in 1962 as a high-protein cereal designed to help address protein deficiency and malnutrition. Over the decades, it became a household brand with variants including original, chocolate, banana and strawberry.

In April 2026, PepsiCo introduced New Generation ProNutro, retaining the cereal’s plant-based protein, 13 vitamins and four minerals while changing its formulation, texture and packaging.

The new product also reduced total sugar by approximately 45%, from 21.6g to 11.9g per 100g, according to nutritional information reported at the time.

PepsiCo said the changes were intended to keep ProNutro available while making production more environmentally sustainable. The company projected reductions of 12.7% in CO₂ emissions, 12.8% in packaging and 6.7% in water use.

However, some consumers took to social media to complain about the new cereal’s taste, texture and ability to mix properly, prompting PepsiCo to explore whether the original product experience could be restored.

Ageing equipment makes original formula difficult to restore

PepsiCo said it was unable to recreate the taste and texture associated with the original ProNutro after reviewing options to restore the previous product experience.

The company had previously explained that the legacy manufacturing equipment had become unreliable and that replacing the old production line on a like-for-like basis would have been prohibitively expensive. Reports citing PepsiCo said such a replacement could have added about R25 to the retail price of a 500g pack.

Following its review, PepsiCo decided to discontinue ProNutro in South Africa, ending a 64-year run for one of the country’s longstanding breakfast cereal brands.

The company said the decision followed consumer feedback and its inability to reproduce the original product experience.

The discontinuation highlights the commercial challenge of modernising legacy consumer brands: production efficiency and sustainability improvements can alter the product characteristics that have helped sustain consumer loyalty for decades.