Dieffenbach's Potato Chips, Inc.

Uglies Snacks is a specialty snack brand manufactured by Dieffenbach's Snacks, Specialty Division, based in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. The brand produces kettle-cooked potato chips crafted from upcycled potatoes — spuds that fail to meet conventional cosmetic grading standards due to irregular sizes, shapes, varied colors, minor blemishes, or surplus supply. Founded in 2017, the company has grown into a recognized player in the better-for-you and upcycled snack segment, having rescued more than 32 million pounds of potatoes from potential waste since its inception.

The brand's core product line consists of small-batch, kettle-cooked potato chips made from cosmetically imperfect but otherwise high-quality potatoes. These potatoes are not diseased, rotting, or unripe — they simply do not meet the voluntary USDA Grades and Standards for Fruits and Vegetables that have shaped conventional produce buying since 1945. By using these "ugly" potatoes, the company directly supports farmers who would otherwise lose value on surplus or off-grade crops. The product lineup includes multiple flavors, with Jalapeño Kettle Chips being among its highlighted varieties, and the brand has creative applications such as using its chips as a ready-made coating for culinary preparations.

Uglies Snacks aligns with the formal definition of upcycled foods established by the Upcycled Foods Definition Task Force, ensuring its supply chain is verifiable and its sourcing has a measurable positive environmental impact. The brand targets retail grocery channels, with distribution in local and regional grocery stores across the United States, and also sells through its own e-commerce platform and a physical factory store in rural southeastern Pennsylvania. A wholesale program is available for retail buyers and distributors.

The company operates within the growing upcycled foods movement, addressing the staggering statistic that approximately 26% of U.S. produce is discarded for cosmetic reasons, and that 6 billion pounds of produce goes unharvested or unsold annually due to aesthetic standards. By converting these overlooked potatoes into a shelf-stable, consumer-ready snack product, Uglies Snacks reduces landfill contribution and conserves the agricultural resources — water, cropland, and labor — already invested in growing those crops.

Beyond its environmental mission, the brand has a philanthropic component, directing a portion of profits to charitable organizations focused on reducing childhood hunger and breaking the cycle of poverty, including partnerships with Pennsylvania-based hunger relief organizations. The brand's messaging and positioning are designed to resonate with socially conscious consumers in the natural, specialty, and better-for-you snack categories, making it an attractive offering for retailers seeking differentiated, mission-driven products in the salty snack aisle.