Just months after iconic cereal brand ProNutro apologised to South Africans following the launch of its ‘New Generation’ formula, the breakfast staple has all but disappeared from local shelves. 

For many South Africans, the cereal is about more than breakfast. It has been part of family routines and childhood memories for generations since its introduction in 1962. 

The recipe change, which altered the cereal’s texture and reduced its sugar content, sparked a wave of complaints from loyal consumers. And now, the familiar boxes are becoming increasingly difficult to find. 

Caxton Network News checked availability across major retailers and online stores, with most reporting the same disappointing news: There’s no ProNutro in stock. 

Searches on Woollies, Pick n Pay, Checkers and SPAR online shopping apps in several provinces showed that while the ProNutro bars are available, the cereal is not. Several Makro stores have stock, as does CheckStar, a KZN supermarket group, and Takealot. 

A little over four months ago, @pronutro_sa posted on Instagram: “Change isn’t easy, especially when it involves something you love. The change on ProNutro has been challenging, and we understand the disappointment it’s caused. While the fundamental texture won’t change back, we are working to improve mixability for a better experience. 

“You may not see us on the shelf for a little while as we focus on these improvements, and this time, we promise to keep you updated along the way.”  

However, that was the last post on its Instagram page, and there are no updates on its Facebook page either. 

South African Pantry, a New Zealand-based South African food shop, shared an update with customers on Facebook on August 18, stating that ProNutro will not be produced for the remainder of this year. 

According to the post, the manufacturer’s new machinery could not reproduce the cereal in the same manner, resulting in changes to its recipe and texture. 

“The response from loyal customers was very clear – people wanted the ProNutro they knew and loved,” reads the Facebook post. “The manufacturer is now working on a solution, but returning to the previous production method is not straightforward because the old factory and machinery have been dismantled.” 

However, neither the reason for the change in taste and texture nor the future of the cereal could be officially confirmed because PepsiCo, which owns the Bokomo brand, had not responded to questions sent last week at the time of publication. 

Expats struggle to find stock abroad. 

For South Africans living abroad, the disappearance is being felt particularly keenly. 

South African Riaan Garforth-Venter, the DIY specialist from Die Nutsman, who has lived in America for more than a decade, said ProNutro is among the products South Africans abroad miss most. 

“I know of other South Africans who pay for excess baggage just to start their new life with ProNutro. We cannot find it anywhere in America,” he said. 

Consumers reject the new recipe. 

Well-known Afrikaans singer and author Riaan Grobler said he stopped eating ProNutro after the recipe change, despite having loved it for as long as he can remember. 

He said he used to snack on it and sometimes even have it as a meal, with the banana flavour being his favourite. 

“My disappointment was huge when they changed the taste and texture,” said Grobler. “It’s like eating cement.” 

Grobler said the disappearance of ProNutro from shelves, following widespread consumer complaints, has only added to his frustrations. 

“As someone who lived on ProNutro, there is now just an empty space where it used to be for my taste buds.” 

“I ate it as a child right up until the day they made the awful decision to change a winning recipe.” 

Consumers share their ProNutro memories. 

For Joan Strydom, ProNutro has been more than a childhood favourite. 

Strydom, who lives in a care unit, said the cereal had become part of her breakfast routine because she is allergic to Weet-Bix. 

“On Sunday mornings, they don’t make porridge, and they serve Weet-Bix, which I am allergic to, so they gave me ProNutro, which I supplied myself. It was the perfect arrangement,” she said. 

With ProNutro unavailable, she said she had to find another option. 

“We negotiated another plan, which is baked beans with my egg and toast,” said Strydom. 

Not everyone has fond memories of the cereal, however. Rigard Lemmer said his childhood experience with banana-flavoured ProNutro was considerably less nostalgic. 

“All four of us children had to make do with banana-flavoured ProNutro,” said Lemmer. He said he would throw it all up while cycling to school, adding tongue in cheek that it was not the ‘breakfast of champions’ for everyone. 

Some people have taken a humorous approach to the cereal’s disappearance. 

Journalist Willem van de Putte joked, “How to eat ProNutro: Put porridge in a bowl. Add milk and stir. Add more milk and stir. Add more milk and stir. Throw the ProNutro away and cook an egg,” said Van de Putte. 

Marietta Du Preez has a similar take. “If you feed ProNutro to your grandchild, you have to keep the milk bottle next to you because it becomes dry as you eat,” said Du Preez. 

Lize Schlebusch said her children loved the old version and that she had stocked up when she could still find it. 

“We could still get the old kind in Orania,” said Schlebusch. “We bought quite a few packs because my children love it.” 

She was less enthusiastic about the new version. 

“Very bad. Like cement,” she said. “Even the cockroaches don’t want to eat the pack that is still in the cupboard.” 

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