U.S. Snack Labels Try Caviar Chips Overseas - Food News - Cooking

Caviar Chips? Don’t Look Close to Home

No Comments | Written on May 7, 2012 at 1:00 pm, by Lesley Kennedy

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We’re not afraid to admit we sometimes fancy ourselves connoisseurs when it comes to snack foods. Potato chips, Oreos, Tang? Oh, yes, we’ve had a few. But when those American standbys go international, it’s gut check time. And by gut check, we mean, our guts are queasy just thinking about it.

Because companies such as Kellogg’s, Lay’s and Oreos are going global and they’re not afraid to switch up flavorings to appeal to the good people of Russia, China, Brazil and India.

The Associated Press reports folks in other countries are catching on to what Americans have known for decades: junk food is delicious. And, since sales of snack foods have been flat for two years in the U.S., American businesses are looking to expand into other markets, the news service adds.

Enter a host of new flavors. According to the AP, the Chinese prefer their Oreos (now the country’s top-selling cookie brand, by the way) to be smaller and not as sweet (oh, the humanity!). They also like green tea ice cream, raspberry and blueberry and mango and orange versions.

It might seem blasphemous to mess with Tang — hello, it is the drink of astronauts, after all — but owner Kraft gave it a lemon-pepper kick in Saudi Arabia and tropical flavors in Mexico with very successful results, the news service reports, also noting that Kellogg markets its All-Bran cereal as an add-in to hot coffee in Spain (okkaaay) and popular Lay’s flavors in Russia include “Crab,” “Red Caviar” and “Pickled Cucumber.”

We’re all for broadening global awareness, but, sorry, we draw the line at pickled cucumber potato chips. Really, no. Just, no.