PepsiCo reports on UK health pledges
PepsiCo UK has further reduced salt levels in its Walkers Crisps by 11.7%, making the snack 55% lower in salt than in 2005.
The company, whose other brands include Tropicana, Pepsi, Quaker and Copella, promised to reduce salt in its savoury snacks as one of 27 pledges it made in its 2010 UK Health Report, which set out the company's 10-year plan to focus future profit and growth on healthier products.
Other key pledges included in the report are that 65% of carbonated soft drink can and bottle sales will be ‘no sugar' by 2015, and 50% of savoury snacks will be baked or include positive nutrition by 2015
Since the report was launched in March last year, PepsiCo has increased the proportion of its crisps and savoury snacks that are below 160 calories per single serve from 71.8% to 73.3%; widened the distribution of healthier ranges, such as Tropicana which is now available in an additional 3,500 quick serve restaurants, providing healthier alternatives for consumers on the go; and invested in healthier ranges to broaden their appeal, such as Sunbites which has recently benefitted from a multimillion pound advertising campaign featuring X Factor finalist Rebecca Ferguson.
Richard Evans, President of PepsiCo UK and Ireland said: "We're delivering on our promise to reformulate our core products and to reshape our portfolio. Today 54% of PepsiCo products are classed as healthier and our 2011 Health Update demonstrates that PepsiCo will play its part in finding solutions to improve public health.
"It is also a company that will work to strengthen efforts to achieve public health goals and turn its vision of being a business whose future profit and growth is driven by healthier products into action."
Last month the company announced a partnership with Ferran Adrià, founder of El Bulli in Spain, to develop taste enhancement ingredients and natural preserving techniques in order to reduce the use of fat and oil in current products, in addition to creating new snack foods, breakfast options and convenience items with an emphasis on healthier products.
