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PepsiCo to reshape convenient foods portfolio with less sodium and more plant proteins

PepsiCo has revealed details of two nutrition goals that look to reduce sodium and boost consumption of legumes, whole grains, and plant-based proteins as part of the multinational’s expanded convenient foods portfolio.

The commitments to promoting healthier eating forms part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company's drive towards sustainable food production that includes the switch to regenerative practices and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, among other climate goals.

"We are in a constant cycle of innovation to reimagine the foods we make and how we make them so we can bring better choices to our consumers, without ever compromising on taste," said René Lammers, executive vice president and chief science officer for PepsiCo.

"Consumers enjoy our products more than one billion times a day, which provides an opportunity – and the privilege – to have an impact. We set a high bar to improve the nutritional profile of our products, and these new goals reaffirm our ambitions."

Consumer drive towards low salt and natural foods

PepsiCo’s convenient foods portfolio includes popular snack brands such as Lay's, Doritos, and Cheetos and the beverages Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream.

Whilst PepsiCo generated more than €80 billion ($86bn) in net revenue in 2022, largely driven by the enduring popularity of the portfolio’s brands, consumer preferences towards healthier eating has prompted a 15% sodium reduction in their Lay's Classic Potato Chips in the US.

The company has also committed to delivering 145 billion portions of diverse ingredients annually in its global convenient foods portfolio by 2030 to also include fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.

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PepsiCo stated that each portion would provide approximately 10% of the suggested daily amount of a diverse ingredient, as specified by dietary guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Diet Fact Sheet and Eat Lancet Planetary Healthy Diet report.

“An industrywide approach is necessary to meaningfully reduce sodium intake and introduce important sources of nutrition to help diversify diets,” added Lammers. “And it's important for us to take a leadership position to help be a catalyst for change."

New portfolio ingredients include black beans, and whole grain oats and rice

Revealing more details in its ESG Summary Report of 2022, PepsiCo said it was “prioritising chickpeas, plant-based proteins, and whole grains, as well as expanding its position in the nuts and seeds category”.

“This includes launching SunChips Black Bean, a new variety made with whole grains and real black beans, and new Quaker Oats flavour offerings with 100% whole grain oats.”

Other products in this new expanded portfolio includes Quaker Cruseli zero sugar, which was launched in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2022, with no added sugars or sweeteners. Also added to the portfolio for 2022, was Quaker’s Puffed Granola, which included ingredients such as whole grain oats and whole grain rice puffs as a healthier option.

As part of a number of nutritional goals for 2025, PepsiCo had met its target for saturated fats reduction in both 2021 and 2022 but acknowledged that it came up short by 7% for sodium reduction and 11% for sugar in 2022.

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Support for farmer livelihoods and regenerative agriculture worldwide

In late November, PepsiCo announced that it was to back eight new innovation projects across nine countries that address urgent agricultural challenges, as part of its PepsiCo Positive Agriculture Outcomes (PAO) Accelerator.

This year's innovations aim to build resiliency through climate related analysis, improve soil health, and strengthen farms' climate resilience in Australia, Colombia, Egypt, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

“Investing in pioneering agriculture projects is a key action in combatting the evolving climate crisis and setting farmers around the world, up for long-term success," said Tom Curtis, director of 3Keel Group, based in the UK.

"Support from PepsiCo's PAO Accelerator will powerfully enable our team to work with local farmers across Europe to further broker the partnerships needed to accelerate climate action on the ground to strengthen agricultural supply chains for the long-term."