At age 64, ProNutro has passed away.

The iconic cereal was officially pronounced dead today (September 23), after owner PepsiCo confirmed it had discontinued the product in South Africa with immediate effect.

In a statement, the company said: “After a long and careful review, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue ProNutro in South Africa. We are grateful for the support consumers have shown the brand over many years.”

PepsiCo said the product was discontinued following consumer complaints about the new-generation formulation and the company’s inability to replicate the old version.

“After launch, some consumers told us the new product experience was not what they expected from ProNutro, particularly in relation to taste, texture and mixability,” it said.

“We listened and explored options to bring back the original product experience, but we were unable to recreate the taste and texture consumers associated with the original ProNutro.”

A bitter end for a breakfast icon

ProNutro leaves behind generations of loyal consumers, several abandoned flavours, countless school mornings and an impressive collection of memories involving bananas, milk and black coffee.

Its death was not entirely unexpected. Given the place it has held in South African households across generations, its demise – announced just a day before Heritage Day – feels particularly poignant. Few breakfast cereals have been so deeply woven into the country’s morning routines.

ProNutro’s final months were far from peaceful.

The cereal had been battling serious consumer dissatisfaction since April, when PepsiCo introduced what it called a ‘new-generation’ formulation. It did not sit well with many consumers, who complained that the new taste and texture were a far cry from the ProNutro they knew.

PepsiCo apologised, explaining that the change was largely prompted by the need to replace old machinery that had become unreliable and could affect product quality.

Retailers began reporting shortages, with some customers told the cereal would not be available for the rest of 2026.

South Africans react

South Africans have had plenty to say about the cereal’s passing.

One consumer, Marieta McGrath, described the new-generation ProNutro as ‘the most expensive cement there is’, although she conceded it was ‘good cement’.

Amelia Myburgh offered a much shorter reaction: “I’ve never liked ProNutro.”

“Get ProNutro back on the shelves! Otherwise we’ll sleep forever!” said Santie Nompi Croeser.

Others appeared less affected. Astrid Verbeek pointed out that she had already said goodbye to ProNutro after school several decades ago.

Maryx Conradie revealed that she used to feed the cereal to her puppies and parrots and would now have to find an alternative.

Sharon Anne du Toit lamented that the cereal had become so expensive she stopped buying it years ago, while insisting there was ‘nothing better than banana ProNutro and black coffee’.

A 64-year history

The cereal’s final Instagram message, posted more than four months ago, acknowledged the backlash and promised that improvements were being made to its mixability.

“You may not see us on the shelf for a little while,” the brand warned.

Those words now appear rather more ominous.

ProNutro first appeared in South Africa in 1962, developed to address protein deficiency and malnutrition. It was marketed as the world’s first nutraceutical cereal and grew into a household name, with flavours including chocolate, banana, strawberry and original.

Now the breakfast bowl is empty.

The cause of death? A fatal combination of ageing machinery, a new formulation, disappointed consumers and an inability to recreate the ProNutro they knew and loved.

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