Kettle Foods

Did You Know?

• The company was originally named the "N. S. Khalsa Company" after founder Cameron Healy's Sikh name, Nirbhao Singh Khalsa.
• In 2008, Kettle Foods paid $350,000 in penalties as part of a settlement with California over acrylamide levels in its chips.

History

Cameron Healy started the N. S. Khalsa Company in 1977, taking his name from his Sikh identity, Nirbhao Singh Khalsa. The business cooked its first batch of potato chips in 1982. Six years later, after Healy and his son took a motorcycle trip, the company opened a UK operation inside a former shoe factory in Norwich, England. That facility relocated five years afterward to a brand-new plant on the edge of Norwich.

In 2003, the company put up the biggest solar panel system in the Pacific Northwest at its Salem factory to boost its use of renewable energy. Lion Capital LLP, a British private equity firm, bought the company in 2006 for between $280 million and $320 million. A second U.S. production site opened in Beloit, Wisconsin, in September 2007, supported by $500,000 in state economic development funds. That plant became the first manufacturing facility to earn gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.

That same October, Facebook groups started calling for a boycott of Kettle Foods products, accusing the company of trying to stop workers at its Norwich factory from joining the Unite trade union. The company denied the accusation but admitted it had sought advice from Omega Training, a UK arm of the U.S.-based Burke Group, which specializes in union avoidance. In August 2008, California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a settlement with Kettle Foods, Cape Cod Potato Chips, and Frito-Lay over violations of the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

The state had claimed in 2005 that the companies’ chips did not disclose high levels of acrylamide, a carcinogen. Kettle Foods paid $350,000 in penalties and costs and agreed to lower acrylamide levels to 275 parts per billion by 2011, an 87% reduction. Lion Capital put Kettle Foods up for sale in December 2009, seeking around $700 million. In February 2010, Diamond Foods, a California company that owns Pop Secret popcorn, bought it for $615 million. The sale closed the following month.

Outside of the US and UK

From its UK office, Kettle Foods works with a network of independent distributors to supply its products across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. This includes markets such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden. The company is not connected to the Kettle Chip brand in Australia, which belongs to Snack Brands Australia.

Potato chips

Kettle Foods is primarily known for its line of potato chips, which the company markets as all-natural. The cooking process uses expeller-pressed oils high in monounsaturated fats, specifically safflower, sunflower, or canola oil. From time to time, the brand has run contests to create new chip flavors. The winners of a 2006 contest were Tuscan Three Cheese and Buffalo Bleu, a spicy, savory option.

Earlier contest winners include Cheddar Beer, Jalapeno Jack, and Spicy Thai. As of 2016, the simplest chip variety, Sea Salt, contained only potatoes, one or more of those oils, and sea salt. Many other flavors also include natural flavors, spices, citric acid, and yeast extract. By 2025, the company offered a wide range of potato chip flavors.

These include Apple Cider Vinegar (made with avocado oil), Backyard Barbeque, Chamoy (a limited edition), Dill Pickle (in a Krinkle Cut), Farmstand Ranch, Habanero Lime (Krinkle Cut), Himalayan Sea Salt (air fried), Honey Dijon, Jalapeño, Jalapeño (air fried), Parmesan Garlic, Pepperoncini, Pink Salt, Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (Krinkle Cut), Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Sea Salt & Vinegar (air fried), Sea Salt Pink Peppercorn (made with avocado oil), Special Sauce (made with avocado oil), Texas BBQ (air fried), Truffle & Sea Salt (Krinkle Cut), and Unsalted.

Additional flavors include Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup, Gressingham Duck (with plum sauce and spring onion), Jalapeño Chilli, Lightly Salted, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion, No Added Salt, Sea Salt with Crushed Black Peppercorns, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, Smoky Barbecue, Sour Cream and Onion, Spicy Chilli, Steakhouse Barbecue, Sweet Chilli (& Sour Cream), Honey Barbecue, Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream, Sour Cream & Sweet Onion, Sea Salt, Rosemary & Garlic, and Chilli with Jalapeño & Red Chillies.