PepsiCo has discontinued ProNutro cereal in South Africa after 64 years, while the impact of the decision on the Namibian market remains unclear.
Bokomo Namibia said it could not comment on the discontinuation after inquiries on whether ProNutro would continue to be distributed locally and whether other products sold under the brand would be affected.
ProNutro, produced by Pioneer Foods’ Bokomo, was launched in 1962 and became a longstanding breakfast brand in the South African market.
The discontinuation follows changes to the cereal’s formulation earlier this year, which prompted consumer complaints about differences in taste, texture and mixability compared with the original product.
PepsiCo subsequently explored options to restore the original ProNutro product experience but was unable to successfully recreate it.
Following a review, the US-based food and beverage company decided to discontinue the cereal in South Africa.
ProNutro was originally developed to help address protein deficiency and malnutrition in South Africa and was marketed as the “original protein cereal”.
It remains unclear whether the discontinuation will affect other products sold under the ProNutro brand, including cereal bars.
