What color packet are Walkers cheese and onion crisps in?

Look at this packet of crisps. Notice anything odd about it?

An almighty kefuffle has broken out again. Not for the first time, the color of the cheese and onion Walkers crisp packet is being hotly disputed. For any non-UK readers, "crisps" are what is generally known as "chips" in the rest of the world - the fried potato slice snacks with popular flavors such as salt and vinegar, beef or prawn cocktail. 

It turns out there are so many people claiming they definitely remember the packet color once being green, whereas now there is no trace of this ever being the case, that it's being classed as a Mandela Effect.

Even the company is involved - they were forced to issue a statement stating categorically they never sold cheese and onion crisps in a green packet.

It's official

The company itself has had so many quesries on this it had to put an FAQ entry on it's website: 

Question: Why did you change your packaging for Salt and Vinegar and Cheese and Onion so they're in the wrong colours?

Answer: Contrary to popular belief, Walkers Cheese and Onion have always been in blue packets, and Salt and Vinegar have always been in green packets. We don't have a plan to change this, as it's signature to our brand.

-- Walkers chrisps website FAQ

Golden Wonder

There might be an explanation for this, in the form of their fierce competitor, Golden Wonder, who's cheese and onion crisps were always in a green packet.

Even Gary Lineker, the famous footballer who features in many of the Walkers adverts, is experiencing this Mandela Effect. He was asked about the switch and said it must have happened "over 25 years ago", before he started advertising for them. When told they were never swapped, and the company has said so, he said "No they don't, everyone knows it happened." So anyone else experiencing this is in good company.

There's an excellent write up of this on Vice, and even a podcast named after it where this, and many other Mandela Effects are covered.