Kettle Foods

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Kettle Foods is an international manufacturer of potato chips and other snack foods based in Salem, Oregon, United States. As of 2006 they were the largest natural potato chip brand in the U.S.[1] The company, originally founded in 1978 by Cameron Healy, is today owned by the British private equity firm Lion Capital LLP. In 2003 the company installed the largest solar array in the Pacific Northwest to use more green energy at their Salem plant.[2][3]

In October 2007, campaigns were launched on popular networking site Facebook calling for a boycott of Kettle Foods products[4] following allegations that the company was attempting to dissuade workers at its Norwich factory from joining trade union Unite. The company refutes the claim but admits that it has taken advice from Omega Training,[5] a UK subsidiary of U.S. company The Burke Group, specialists in union avoidance.[6]

[edit] Products

The Kettle brand features all-natural products. Kettle's most famous product is their batch-cooked potato chip. The company's unique flavors are especially popular and the company has occasionally held contests and large polls to introduce new flavors, printing the names of the voters on the bags of the new flavors. The 2006 contest winners were Tuscan Three Cheese and Buffalo Bleu; past contest winners include Cheddar Beer and Spicy Thai.[7]

Kettle brand potato chips feature expeller-pressed high monounsaturated safflower and/or sunflower oil.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kish, Matthew. Kettle Foods sold to British group Portland Business Journal, August 9, 2006.
  2. ^ Energy Trust
  3. ^ Oregon.goc: FIRE
  4. ^ Consumers start online campaign to boycott Kettle Chips [1] The Guardian, October 9, 2007
  5. ^ Internet campaign to boycott foods [2] Norwich Evening News, October 11, 2007
  6. ^ The Burke Group [3]
  7. ^ Kettlefoods.com, "And the winner is..."

[edit] External links

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Oregon-Based Companies


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