Bugles

Bugles were developed by a food engineer, Verne E. Weiss of Plymouth Minnesota.[3] Bugles were test-marketed in 1965 and introduced nationally in early 1966 as one of several new General Mills snacks,[4] including flower-shaped Daisies, wheel-shaped Pizza Spins and tube-shaped Whistles, all of which were discontinued in the 1970s.[5]

From the time of their creation in the mid-1960s, General Mills' Bugles were manufactured at a plant in West Chicago, Illinois,[5] until that plant's closure in 2017.[6] Bugles and the other snacks were also produced in Lancaster, Ohio starting in 1966. It is now a Ralston Foods Plant part of Con-Agra.[7]

General Mills Bugles are fried in coconut oil, which contributes to their being significantly higher in medium-chain triglyceride saturated fat than similar snack foods, which are typically fried in soybean or other vegetable oils. Bugles contain no hydrogenated oils.

The ingredients of Original Bugles are degermed yellow corn meal, coconut oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, and BHT. Ingredients for all variations of Bugles are listed on the General Mills website.[8]

Bugles produced under the Tom's Snacks label no longer use coconut oil, but rather "vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil)."

They have been available in the following flavors: Original, Nacho Cheese, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion, Ranch, Chili Cheese, Salsa, Smokin' BBQ, Churros, Southwest Ranch, Sweet and Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter, Sweet and Salty Caramel, Cheddar, Ketchup, Coriander, Cookies and Cream, Hot Buffalo, Shrimp, Jalapeño Cheddar, Hot & Spicy, and Hot & Spicy BBQ (Exclusively manufactured by Tom's). Bugles are so-named because of their "horn" or bugle shape.

As of November 2014, Bugles were sold as Bugles in the United States, Canada, China, Denmark, Iraq, The Netherlands, and several more countries in Central America and the Caribbean.[9]

Bugles were discontinued in Canada in early 2010 due to a decrease in demand[10] but brought back in November 2011 due to renewed consumer demand.[11] In the United Kingdom, Bugles were available in the early 2000s and manufactured by Golden Wonder. They were discontinued after several years and brought back in 2016.[12]

General Mills also licenses the name and shape to other manufacturers of the same product:

• In Cyprus, Bugles are manufactured by People's Coffee Manuf. Ltd [13] and are being marketed and distributed by Laiko Cosmos Trading Ltd.[14] They are available in 3 flavors, Original, Nachos and Vinegar.[15]
• In Kuwait, Bugles are manufactured and marketed by the KITCO parent company.[16]
• In the United Arab Emirates, Bugles manufactured by IFFCO UAE under their Tiffany subdivision, and is marketed and sold as Bugles with similar styling to the U.S. Bugles.[17]
• In France, Bugles are manufactured and marketed by the Benenuts marque of Groupe Pepsico of France under the name 3-D's Bugles in various flavors, including natural, cheese, bacon, ketchup, and ham & cheese.[18]
• In Japan, Bugles are named "Tongari Corn" (とんがりコーン) have been manufactured by House Foods since 1978.[19]
• In South Korea, they are known as "Ggoggal Corn" (꼬깔콘) and have been produced by Lotte Confectionery since 1983.
• In Sweden and Norway they are known as "Sombreros", made by Estrella/Maarud.
• In Israel they are known as "Apropo", and are made by Osem.[20][21]
• In Turkey, they are called "Cherezza Twist" and "Patos Critos" as they are manufactured by two different companies.
• In Brazil, they are manufactured by Yoki, a brand of General Mills.[22]
• In Singapore, Bugles are manufactured by Tong Garden Food Products under license. Tong Garden fries its Bugles in palm oil.
• In Poland, Bugles are sold by Frito Lay Poland Ltd. under "star" brand name.
• In the United Kingdom, Bugles are sold by Walkers.[12]
• In the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, Bugles are sold by Lay's as Lay's Bugles.[23]
• In Spain and Portugal, Bugles are manufactured by Matutano under the name of 3-D's Bugles and only Bacon-Cheese flavour.
• In South Africa, Bugles are Manufactured by Simba as Doritos 3D
• In Argentina, Bugles are manufactured by PepsiCo as 3D's