PepsiCo To Cut Sodium, Sugar, Fat In Products

NEW YORK — PepsiCo Inc. plans to cut the sodium found in each serving of its key brands by one-fourth in five years, the company announced Monday, as the industry deals with pressure from the government and health-conscious shoppers who want more options.

The maker of Frito-Lay chips and Pepsi drinks announced several nutrition goals Monday at the start of a two-day investor conference.

The company also set two goals for the next 10 years: to cut the average added sugar per serving by 25 percent and saturated fat per serving by 15 percent, in addition to adding more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy into its array of products.

An array of food makers have announced similar goals recently as they come under more pressure from government and consumers. Last week Kraft Foods Inc. pledged to cut salt in its products sold in North America by an average of 10 percent over the next two years. ConAgra Foods Inc. and Campbell Soup Co. have also announced sodium cuts.

Many health leaders have urged food makers to reformulate their products to reduce salt. First Lady Michelle Obama has made the fight against childhood obesity a top priority. Last week she asked the nation's largest food makers at a meeting of the Grocery Manufacturers Association to "step it up" and put less fat, salt and sugar in foods.

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi told investors Monday that shoppers are focusing more on value amid the recession and on improving their health. She said governments around the world are exerting pressure to improve nutrition, but the company isn't waiting for mandates.

"So we're off doing our thing because the consumer is shifting," she said at the event at Yankee Stadium.

Last week the company announced it would remove full-calorie, sweetened drinks from schools worldwide by 2012. Both PepsiCo, the world's second-biggest soft drink maker, and No. 1 player Coca-Cola Co. adopted guidelines to stop selling sugary drinks in U.S. schools in 2006.

Comments

[Conk]

10:23 AM on 03/24/2010

Hmmm, let's see, start with poison. Take some poison away. What are you left with? Poison.

[rivergirl301]

12:04 PM on 03/23/2010

What ever happened to those chips made with the artificial fat, that made you, you know, in your pants if you ate too much?

[jgarma]

02:04 AM on 03/23/2010

Glucose we need, especially our brains.

Fructose and the other sugars in soft drinks are slow killers because of the way our bodies metabolize them.

All sugars aren't created equal. This article speaks to what's OK and what's deadly:

http://www.garmaonhealth.com/2010/02/beware-fructose/

Yep.

[Andrea Pennington, M.D.]

04:57 PM on 03/22/2010

Finally enough pressure - economic and political! - is forcing food manufacturers to improve the health content of their products.

There is no debate that US food manufacturers have become masters at making things taste good, but the high salt and sugar impact the brain in such a way that we crave them in an abnormal fashion! When you consider that there is nearly ZERO nutrient value, just empty calories, there is no wonder why our children have concentration problems, record numbers of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

While everyone loves to eat tasty treats, it is just irresponsible to continue to feed our kids this stuff because it's cheap, easy and often-demanded. We MUST take back our households and teach children about the lure of marketing, the 'secret' ingredients that 'hook' us and make us want more...

It's not about becoming a radical, it's about becoming responsible for our health and demanding that if a company is going to lure us in, take our money and 'feed' our kids, then they should be conscious of what they are adding to the process.

[Conk]

10:26 AM on 03/24/2010

I remember many decades ago the head of the FDA wanted to sue bread makers for creating "White Bread", taking away the healthier part of the grain. Now look where we are! The FDA pushes dangerous drugs. They allow Aspartame and MSG in the food supply, etc. No regard for health whatsoever. It's all about the bottom line, GREED!

[jJohnson1]

04:13 PM on 03/22/2010

oh right because all of you only eat healthy products all the time get over yourselves tell me you never drank a Soda and all you eat is sliced vegi's and organic foods and ill call you hypocrites. i dont care for the fact that its unhealthy but i can control myself and understand the word portion. now if you dont like it its a very simple fix dont drink it, but please dont press your point of view like its the law and suggest that what you want is the right and only way, you sound like religious radicals only about something that is clearly a personal choice. for those like me that enjoy it in moderation and think its great on a summer day with some ice then keep buying we know the "risk" , but did you know that even the best athletes enjoy drinking it too? so maybe you should just read the article and drink your wheat grass and enjoy your own life and leave our choices alone.

[washlib]

06:46 PM on 03/22/2010

no.

certain products should be BANNED, such as msg, hfcs, transfats, hydrogenated fats, etc because THEY ARE POISONS.

[Leslie Goldberg]

01:01 AM on 03/23/2010

Over 10 percent of the population has Type ll diabetes, which is actually a very expensive disease and that affects us all even those few who have mastered moderation. The more sick people there are, the less care there is to go around. These greasy, salty, sugary foods are highly addictive to most people. It's been estimated that only 5 percent of the population is able to stay thin in this food environment without working at it. The rest of us are either fat or we have to assiduously avoid thees types of food so that we lose our appetites for them. It's tough because these companies are constantly marketing this junk at every turn. Humans have never before in history had access to these type of highly processed foods. Trusting children who know nothing about what these foods really are eat them and they get fat and they get sick. Society has an obligation to at least protect its children. These awful foods need to be shamed out of existence. Good job, Mrs. Obama!

[Puffin16]

02:41 PM on 03/22/2010

Here's a way to cut 100% of the salt, fat, and sugar from your foods - don't buy anything that Pepsico makes. Buy fresh and cook it yourself.

[JScott]

02:29 PM on 03/22/2010

Yeah they might have to make their 'food' from real food now like real cola flavor, real sugar and real potatos.

[wm1066]

02:11 PM on 03/22/2010

Okay, that and the fact that Canada just changed some some laws that made it impossible for Pepsi to sell their product in Canada with the high sugar and salt content. It might simply be because of Canadian laws as aposed to any altruistic ideals.

[wm1066]

02:34 PM on 03/22/2010

oops, I mean opposed!

[ie]

09:06 AM on 03/25/2010

Yay Canada!

[tragicallyblonde]

12:30 AM on 03/26/2010

Ditto...