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Private company

San Carlo

Logo: Horcrux92 . The original uploader was Bruce The Deus at Italian Wikipedia ., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Italian food company

San Carlo Gruppo Alimentare S.p.A. (Italian for 'Saint Charles Food Group S.A.') is an Italian manufacturer of snack foods, including crisps and crackers. International brands include the Spanish brand Crecs, French brands Flodor and Gardeil, and Highlander crisps in the United Kingdom.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1936Founded1
  • Industryfood industry1
  • HeadquartersMilan1
  • Founded inMilan1
  • Websitewww.sancarlo.it
  • Legal formjoint-stock company1

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San Carlo sede Milano
Photo: Carlo Dani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

San Carlo Gruppo Alimentare S.p.A. (Italian for 'Saint Charles Food Group S.A.') is an Italian manufacturer of snack foods, including crisps and crackers. International brands include the Spanish brand Crecs, French brands Flodor and Gardeil, and Highlander crisps in the United Kingdom.2

The story

Originally a rotisserie house, the Rosticceria San Carlo was established in 1936 by Francesco Vitaloni in Milan and named in honour of the nearby church of San Carlo al Lazzaretto.

Initially, his production of potato products were as accompaniments to meats and fish dishes, however, the demand for them was very high, and he began exclusive production of patatine croccanti ('crispy potato chips'), and began distributing them to the local bakeries and bars.

Francesco's son Alberto took over leadership in the 1950s.

From Wikipedia’s article on San Carlo (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • snack

Listed on Wikidata.1

Current products include potato crisps, rippled crisps, hard pretzels and pretzel sticks, dried breads and crackers and cake products, including croissants.

From Wikipedia’s article on San Carlo (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1936Founded Founded in Milan1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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