Bizarre History! The Inventor of Pringles is Buried in a Can!

Fredric Baur, an organic chemist and food storage technician, revolutionized the snack industry with his ingenious packaging design for Pringles. Before his innovation, potato chips were typically sold in flimsy bags, leading to a high percentage of broken crisps by the time they reached consumers. In the mid-1960s, working for Procter & Gamble, Baur devised a solution that would not only protect the chips but also allow for efficient stacking and prolonged freshness.

Baur's design, patented in 1970, involved a tall, cylindrical can that perfectly housed uniform, saddle-shaped chips stacked vertically. This innovative approach prevented breakage, ensured every chip was intact, and allowed the product to stand upright on shelves, a significant departure from traditional chip bags. The design was so effective that it kept chips fresh for months, rather than weeks, and inspired a wave of new packaging concepts in the supermarket industry.

So proud was Baur of his creation that he expressed a unique final wish: to have a portion of his ashes buried in one of his iconic cans. His children, initially amused by the idea, realized his seriousness and honored his request after his death in 2008 at the age of 89. They purchased an original flavor Pringles can, placed some of his cremated remains inside, and buried it alongside an urn containing the rest of his ashes in a Cincinnati cemetery. This peculiar tribute cemented his legacy, highlighting his enduring connection to the groundbreaking snack food packaging.