PepsiCo cuts sodium content in Lay’s, shrinks pack sizes of 2 salty snacks

PepsiCo India has cut the sodium content in its Lay’s snacks by 13-15%, a company official said, in line with its global goal to make its products healthier.
Simultaneously, the India arm of the Purchase, New York-based company is shrinking the pack sizes of Lay’s – a Rs 2,000 crore-plus brand — and Kurkure products without reducing the quantity offered in them.

This follows mounting concerns over plastic pollution that’s prompted states, including Maharashtra, to either ban such packaging or ask companies to pay some or the entire cost of managing these materials.

“We are exploring multiple packaging solutions for salty snacks, many of which have to be supported by a technology unlock. It is work in progress,” said Jagrut Kotecha, vice president for snacks at PepsiCo India.

Starting this month, the company has resized the packaging for Lay’s and Kurkure snacks and reduced the consumption of paper used in cartons, which will lower fuel consumption and shrink its carbon footprint. The pack size of Kurkure snacks has been reduced by 6%, while keeping the quantity of the product inside intact.

Kotecha said the company is working on making its metallised packaging recyclable and biodegradable, a project it will pilot in the fourth quarter. It will start compostable packaging for Lay’s and Kurkure this year, he said.

Nestle’s Maggi, PepsiCo’s Lay’s and Parle’s Frooti were identified as the top three plastic waste generators in Mussoorie, a popular hill station in north India, in a survey by the Uttarakhand Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board and Gati Foundation released two months ago.

Kotecha said work is on to meet multiple global commitments and make its portfolio healthier. The US company plans to reduce sodium in 75% of its food products by 2025. It said the volume of sodium in these products will be less than 1.3 milligrams per calorie and that they will not exceed 1.1grams of saturated fat per 100 calories by 2025.

Food companies in India including Nestle, PepsiCo, ITC and Britannia have voluntarily set targets to reduce salt, sugar and trans-fat content in their products as part of the national food regulator’s ‘Eat Right Movement.’

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has said ‘healthier’ products contributed 50% of the company’s revenue last year compared with 38% in 2006.