Lays is called Smith's in Australia because Smith's was an established, iconic Australian brand of crisps (chips) that PepsiCo, the owner of Lays, acquired in 1998, choosing to keep the local name for market familiarity, especially since Smith's had its own long history (starting 1932) and used Aussie potatoes, making it distinct from the global Lays, even though they are essentially the same core product under the same parent company.
Frito-Lay acquired The Smith's Snackfood Company in 1998, finally bringing back together all arms of the former empire of Frank Smith, and merged its Frito-Lay Australian business into Smiths. Lay's crisps were rebranded the name Thins.
After Thin's was sold to Snack Brands Australia (owned by Arnotts), Smith's produced a line of potato chips under the Lay's brand for a brief period of time. The Lay's line was eventually rebranded in 2004 as Smith's Crisps, while the traditional Smith's line was renamed Smith's Crinkles.
As of 1998, the Smith's Snackfood company was Australia's largest producer of salty snack foods. It was acquired in August of that year by Frito-Lay, the second largest producer of salt snack foods in Australia, which is in turn owned by PepsiCo.
Affectionately known as 'the People's Chip', at Smith's we're honoured to celebrate our Australian heritage. Smith's Crinkle Cut, Thinly Cut, Double Crunch and Baked Chips are proudly Australian made.
Your potato chip might be a Lays in disguise
Smith's potato chips are disguised as Walkers crisps in England, Lay's chips in the US, Frenchitas in Argentina, Tapuchips in Israel, Sabritas in Mexico and Poca in Vietnam.
"Obviously Smith's also manufacture the Aldi brand which is significantly cheaper!
Classic salted remains the top seller in many regions, though favorites vary by country. 05. What was the first flavor of Lay's chips? The original flavor was simply salted when the brand launched in the 1930s.
AUEVSS Limited (Fryo Potato Chips)
AUEVSS Limited is an Indian potato chip processing company by potato growers and they use this fact to create tracebility. The company sells potato chips using the brand name Fryo potato chips.
There isn't one single "most unhealthy" chip, but highly processed, heavily flavored varieties like Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, Fritos Chili Cheese Corn Chips, and some Pringles flavors are consistently cited for high levels of sodium, unhealthy fats, artificial additives, and refined ingredients, offering little nutritional value. Chips with long ingredient lists, artificial colors (like Red 40), sugars (dextrose, maltodextrin), and inflammatory oils (canola) are generally considered less healthy.
The healthiest potato chips are generally those with minimal ingredients (potato, oil, salt), cooked in healthier oils like avocado or olive oil, and offer options like baked or air-fried versions with less fat, while non-potato alternatives like veggie or chickpea chips can also be better choices, focusing on whole foods and fiber. Brands like Boulder Canyon, Siete, and Jackson's offer cleaner ingredient lists, but portion control remains key for any chip.
Top Ten Best-Selling Chip Brands
The product was originally known as Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips, but other snack manufacturers objected, saying Pringles failed to meet the definition of a potato "chip" since they were made from a potato-based dough rather than being sliced from potatoes.
Smith's Potato Crisps Ltd was formed by Frank Smith and Jim Viney just after the First World War, by converting garages in Cricklewood, London, into a crisp factory. Smith conceived the idea of selling unseasoned potato crisps with a small greaseproof blue paper sachet of salt that could be sprinkled over the crisps.
The term 'Chippy' is commonly used in Australia and the UK to refer to carpenters. The term is found as far back as the 16th century – no doubt in reference to the wood chips that flew as carpenters worked their magic.
Here's a more detailed breakdown: Backstory: Lay's started as a single, classic salted chip flavor, with Barbeque being the first flavored chip introduced in 1965.
Baked Lay's contain slightly less fat, but are still high in sodium and contain even more carbs than regular chips. Doritos: One of the worst culprits, Doritos are higher in fat and calories than plain chips. And bad news for Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos lovers – this flavor is even higher in fat than the others.
This Lay's chip was released in the early 2010s. These chips captured summer garden freshness with sun-dried tomato, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, and sour cream. Fans described them as having an “almost pizza-like flavor.” Today, Garden Tomato & Basil remains one of the most requested discontinued flavors.
The Aldi £13 rule refers to the UK supermarket's decision, effective September 2025, to pay its store assistants a minimum of £13 per hour (rising to £13.02 nationally and £14.33 within the M25), making it the first UK supermarket to reach this rate, with further increases for length of service, plus providing paid breaks.
Our heritage is the heart of our identity at Smith's Chips Australia. Since 1931, almost every type of Smith's snack has been manufactured in factories on Australian soil. We even source most of our potatoes locally from the best growers across Australia.
We use Bill of Lading data to understand ALDI Grocery Stores's trade in goods. In 2025, ALDI Grocery Stores's top imported product was Baked Goods, with a total of 467 units, accounting for 6.12% of its total imports. Most of the imports originated from China (4,718 shipments, 61.8% of the total).
Smith's Oven-Baked Chips are double-baked, never fried with 50% less fat than our regular crinkle-cut potato chips. Even though it's baked, our cooking technique ensures that every chip retains its signature crunch without compromising on taste!
The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Alongside Sheila Take A Bow, this track was the highest charting Smiths single during the band's lifetime, peaking at Number 10 and earning a Gold disc from the BPI.
While many famous brands like Arnott's or Vegemite have Australian roots, they are often foreign-owned; genuinely 100% Australian-owned and made brands include Norco, SPC, Mayvers, Sanitarium, Bundaberg Rum, Fess Nasal Sprays, Hydralyte, and many smaller businesses found via the Australian Made Campaign like GME, Aqualyte, and Struc Steel. Look for the Australian Made and Owned logo for assurance that money stays local.