Since its debut in 1968, Pringles have literally reshaped the snack aisle with their unmistakable saddle shape and iconic cylindrical can that rakes in over $3 billion every year.

The genius behind this snacking marvel was Frederick Bauer, a chemist at Procter & Gamble who envisioned a solution to the common complaints about traditional potato chips.

Too greasy, always broken, and half-filled bags that seemed to be more air than chips.

Frederick's mission was to create a chip that retained its shape and freshness in a package that was both convenient and stylish.

His outcome was nothing short of a snacking sensation, a chip that stayed crisp and tasty and neatly stacked in a can that kept every piece intact until the very last crunch.

Procter & Gamble initially marketed them as Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips, and their novel appeal quickly brought some unexpected scrutiny.

It soon became apparent that the name potato chip didn't quite fit the bill, since they're made with about 42% dehydrated potato flakes, not whole potatoes, and include a blend of other ingredients like rice flour and wheat starch.

So consequently, in 1975, the FDA mandated they be rebranded from potato chips to potato crisps, a change that clarified labeling in North America but caused some confusion in the UK, where potato chips are traditionally referred to as crisps.

So what exactly goes into a Pringle if they're not entirely whole potatoes?

Let's peel back the lid and go inside the factory to see the fascinating process that takes humble potato flakes and turns them into the poppable phenomenon we know as Pringles.

The potato flakes for Pringles begin with large batches of high-quality fresh potatoes, and these spuds have a thrilling multi-step journey ahead of them.

As soon as they arrive at the factory, they're whisked onto a conveyor belt and immediately taken to the washing station.

This isn't just any rinse, though.

The potatoes are soaked in this large tank, where a hydro washer agitates the water, loosening any dirt and debris clinging to their surfaces.

Now squeaky clean, the potatoes are prepped for peeling.

To get rid of their skins, the spuds tumble into this large drum lined with a surface that's as rough as very coarse sandpaper.

As they spin and dance around, the abrasive texture gently rubs away their skin, removing any layers that might get in the way of a silky, smooth Pringle.

After shedding their skins, the potatoes are on the move again, this time along this conveyor that leads them to the cutting station.

But first, they take a quick detour into this blanching bath.

This quick dip in hot water does double duty.

It not only softens the potatoes to facilitate a smooth, even cut, but also helps inactivate enzymes that could affect the taste and color of the final chip.

The machine used to cut the spuds rolls them in this giant cylinder spinning at 1,200 times per minute.

As the potatoes reach the top, they come in contact with a blade that slices them.

Almost as soon as that happens, the sliced potatoes are cut into strips.

Just as quickly, another set of rotating blades chops the strips into little cubes.

This blink-and-you'll-miss-it process is essential for making the following steps easier.

Next, the potato cubes continue traveling along the conveyor until they're dropped onto a separate vibrating belt.

The vibrations help to make sure that freshly cut pieces don't clump together, which could cause problems.

Several cameras also check for any blemishes or bad spots on the spuds.

To cook them, the cubes are dropped into 185 degrees Fahrenheit boiling water, where they'll stay for about two minutes.

Even though it's a short period, this process helps ensure that potatoes don't turn to mush when they are sent through the giant steam cooker.

This giant machine then steam cooks the cubes at a temperature of 345 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now that the spud cubes are cooked to perfection, it's time to whip them up into a smooth, lump-free mash that sets the stage for every Pringles crisp.

This transformation happens inside this giant industrial drum, where a robust metal arm tirelessly churns the cubes into an impeccably smooth potato mash.

Now, the real magic begins.

The prepared potato mash undergoes a significant transformation.

Applied uniformly onto this large, rotating drum dryer, the mash is exposed to intense heat.

As the drum spins, moisture is quickly evaporated from the mash, forming it into thin and pliable sheets.

This process not only preserves the flavor and quality of the potatoes, but also prepares the dried product for precise milling into the fine potato flakes used for the Pringles dough.

Now that the potato sheets are perfectly dried, it's crunch time.

They're now turned into the essential building blocks of every Pringle, the potato flakes.

The dried sheets are fed through this milling machine, where a series of sharp blades break the sheets down into perfectly proportioned flakes.

To the untrained eye, these flakes look like something you'd have for breakfast in the morning, or even sand.

The next stage is where the whole potatoes begin their transition into the unique base that sets Pringles apart from ordinary potato chips.

With our potato flakes at the ready, it's time to bring in the supporting cast of ingredients.

In this large mixer, the flakes are combined with water, cornstarch, rice flour, wheat starch, de-germinated yellow corn flour, maltodextrin, diglycerides, salt, and emulsifiers, in which ensures the mixture stays fresh and stable throughout the rest of the process.

When the mixture is complete, the potato flake dough will resemble coarse, wet sand, instead of the dough used for making bread.

Next, the dough mixture rides on this conveyor belt that sends it through an auger, which evenly spreads the dough across the conveyor, ensuring that each portion has uniform consistency, setting the stage for the perfect roll-out.

Once evenly spread on the conveyor, the dough continues through this giant roller that presses it with four tons of pressure into a long and very thin sheet just one millimeter in thickness.

Without knowing that it's actually made from potato flakes, you could very easily mistake it for a giant sheet of paper or linen.

As the thin dough sheet continues its journey, it's fed into a giant rolling cutter that slices the dough into oval shapes.

At this point, the snack begins to resemble the shape millions know it for.

Here's a fun fact.

Inside the Pringles factory, workers have a playful nickname for these shapes.

They call them dough-vulls, a clever twist on the word ovals.

Once the dough has been cut into dough-vulls, the remaining unused dough is pulled along by a different belt.

Rather than being thrown away, it's recycled and sent back into the mixing stage, ready to be rolled out and shaped once again.

This recycling loop is a simple but clever way to minimize waste and keep production efficient.

As for the oval-cut dough, its journey continues towards the fryer, where it will take on its famous saddle shape.

While in the fryer, a large roller molds the dough slices into a thin, concave shape.

Or, if you want to get more technical, this shape is what mathematicians would call a hyperbolic paraboloid.

During this process, the Pringles are cooked in hot oil at 392 degrees Fahrenheit for about 11 seconds.

This step serves two purposes.

The first is to lock in their shape, and the second is to give them their desired crisp, golden finish that sets the stage for their satisfying crunch.

Now that they're fully cooked, the Pringles are sent through a hot air blower, which gets rid of excess oil and lowers the temperature to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, the conveyor carries them under a cascade of seasoning that ensures each Pringle gets the perfect amount on the top side.

The flavor of the toppings will change depending on the types of Pringles being made.

From the classic tang of sour cream and onion to the savory goodness of pizza and the rich taste of cheddar cheese, each Pringle is meticulously flavored.

Daily, Pringles utilizes more than 5,952 pounds of spices to season its expansive range of 160 flavors.

What's your go-to flavor?

Drop your favorite in the comments and see who shares your taste.

After they've been seasoned, the Pringles are sent along another conveyor belt.

Thanks to their unique saddle shape, they naturally fall into neat piles, simplifying the tasks that lie ahead in the production line.

As they continue their journey, a quality control person inspects the Pringles.

Specifically, they are looking for any that might have been broken by the process, are under-seasoned, or have any flaws that would drop a Pringle below its desired quality.

At this point, the Pringles are on their way to being packed into one of the famous canisters.

Along the way, they are shaken up a bit by a different conveyor belt to ensure the Pringles aren't all clumped together.

The stacks of Pringles are then placed on scales to ensure the proper amount of weight goes into each canister before an automated spoon feeds the stacks into the open end of a canister.

Once inside, automated guides tap the closed end of the tube to nudge the Pringles into position.

Once the canisters are neatly filled with perfectly stacked Pringles, they advance to the sealing station.

Here, automated machines precisely apply the tear-off freshness seals to the tops of each canister.

This ensures that each chip remains perfectly crisp from the factory floor to your first pop of the lid.

Now, mechanical arms lower the canisters to a separate station.

Once there, a spinning machine attaches metal bottoms to each can.

This final step closes the canisters and seals them tight, locking in the freshness.

On the opposite end, the canisters are already fitted with the plastic lid.

Did you know that across the globe, Pringles offers its delectable snacks in five different canister sizes, catering to all sorts of appetites?

Before shipping, Pringles undergo a unique quality control test, where flavor experts conduct blind taste tests under red lighting.

This setup prevents visual judgments based on the chip's appearance, focusing solely on taste.

Testers evaluate each Pringle on its doneness, texture, and seasoning by placing its seasoned side up on their tongue and fully experiencing the flavor as they chew.

If a single chip fails, the entire batch that the Pringle came from is tossed.

After passing strict quality control tests for taste, texture, and appearance, Pringles begin their journey to consumers.

The canisters are packed into boxes and loaded onto trucks for distribution.

These boxes then travel to distribution centers around the globe before reaching retail stores and supermarkets, ensuring Pringles lovers can always find their favorite flavors.

So, as we can see, despite being thin, slightly potato-flavored, and crunchy, Pringles are definitely not potato chips.

And if you're in the UK, they aren't exactly crisps either.

No matter what you call them, Pringles and their inventors, chemist Fred Bauer and researcher Alexander Liepa, changed the snack industry forever.

Thanks for joining us on this incredible journey through the Pringles factory.

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We'll see you next time.