Approach
To help build a more sustainable food system and become PepsiCo Positive, we are making it easier for consumers to choose foods and beverages that are good for themselves and good for the planet. In nutrition, working towards our PepsiCo Positive ambitions means offering more Positive Choices for consumers. To this end, we’re improving the nutritional profile of our products, working to provide simple, clear information on our packaging, rethinking packaging sizes and leveraging the scale of our brands to drive positive change.
Our product sustainability goals are to reduce added sugars in our beverages and reduce sodium and saturated fats in our food portfolio so that people can continue to enjoy our most-loved brands as part of a healthy and balanced diet. By 2025, our goals are that:
- ≥ 67 percent of beverage portfolio volume will not exceed 100 Calories from added sugars per 12 ounce serving;
- ≥ 75 percent of foods portfolio volume will not exceed 1.3 milligrams of sodium per Calorie
- ≥ 75 percent of foods portfolio volume will not exceed 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 Calories
In addition, we are working to increase access to nutritional foods in the communities where we live and operate, and promote food security in at-risk regions. By 2030, our goal is to:
- Partner with communities to advance food security and make nutritious food accessible to 50 million people.
We expect to achieve this goal through a combination of both philanthropic and commercial initiatives. In order for commercial products to count towards the goal, they must:
- Meet our internal Global Nutrition Criteria for Affordable Nutrition Initiatives, which includes maximum thresholds for nutrients to limit (added sugars, sodium, saturated fatty acids, and trans fat); minimum micronutrient levels to help combat hidden hunger; and food groups and nutrients to encourage such as whole grains and fiber; and
- Be accessible to lower-income consumers at risk for undernutrition, as determined at the market level and informed by local socioeconomic indicators and externally available data.
For example, Quaker 3 Minutos provides lower-income consumers in Mexico value for their money without having to compromise on nutrition. Offered at an affordable price point, the product is fortified with vitamins and minerals including shortfall nutrients in the country.
PepsiCo is continuously renovating and expanding its portfolio to provide consumers with products that provide nutritional benefits. While we are improving the nutritional profile of many of our products by reducing added sugars, sodium and saturated fat, we are also investing in innovation to deliver important food groups and nutrients to encourage a healthy diet, accelerating a journey that we began before the turn of the 21st century. The 2021 launch of our PepsiCo Positive ambition marks an important milestone on this journey to offer consumers Positive Choices in nutrition.
Over the years, we have enhanced our portfolio through a combination of reformulation, new product innovations and the acquisition of new brands:
- Through reformulations, we improve the nutritional profile of many of our products by reducing added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat.
- Product innovations help to further bolster our portfolio, meeting local consumer tastes and preferences while providing consumers with the nutrition they are looking for.
- Through acquisitions, we have added a number of the world’s most trusted and loved positive nutrition brands to our business.
We believe that we have an opportunity to positively influence the diets of people around the world through the delivery of great tasting products that also deliver important nutrients and food groups. With a global rise in urban living and “on-the-go” eating habits, consumers are demanding products that are at once nutritious, convenient, great tasting, and are trusted from quality and food safety perspectives. Developing and delivering products that deliver these attributes is a priority for PepsiCo.
Learn more about our approach to Nutrition Governance here.
PepsiCo Nutrition Criteria
To help provide nutrition guidance during the development of our beverages and foods, and diversify our product portfolio in the process, we deploy the PepsiCo Nutrition Criteria (PNC). These science-based criteria are based on recommendations for food and nutrient intake from leading global and national nutrition authorities including the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Academy of Medicine, and national public health authorities.
The PNC set standards for nutrients to limit as well as nutrients and food groups to encourage that are based on the latest science and country specific dietary guidelines.
- Nutrients to Limit are nutrients that have been well-established as dietary factors that can contribute to the risk of certain non-communicable diseases, when consumed in excess. They include: saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugars.
- Nutrients to Encourage are nutrients that have been identified as being commonly under-consumed in the population. They are sometimes called “shortfall nutrients.” They typically include: fiber, specific vitamins and/or minerals such as iron, vitamin A and calcium.
- Food Groups to Encourage are food groups that have been well-established as contributing to well-balanced diets. They include: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, among others.
These standards are used by our product development teams both to reformulate existing products by improving their nutritional profile, and to guide the development of new product innovation. To apply the PNC in a relevant way to our portfolio, we have a tiered set of specific criteria for 20 food and beverage categories. Products are evaluated based on their nutrient profile as well as how they are consumed within the diet to determine which criteria should apply. Learn more about the PNC here.
Nutritious Options
With consumers around the world moving toward more nutritious options, we believe that our portfolio of nutritious options is vital to the strength of our business. Our portfolio includes products with food groups like grains, fruits and vegetables and those that deliver fiber and/or protein, plus those that are complementary, like water and unsweetened tea, which support hydration without adding calories or nutrients to limit. As we strive to offer consumers more Positive Choices, we will purposely incorporate more diverse ingredients in both new and existing products that are better for the planet and deliver nutritional benefits, prioritizing chickpeas, plant-based proteins and whole grains, and expand our position in the nuts and seeds category.
Meeting Societal Nutritional Needs
In markets all over the world, we work to create products that are suited to local needs in terms of both taste and nutrition, with brands that consumers trust. For example, our 2020 acquisition of Pioneer Foods brought together two like-minded companies focused on building a more sustainable future and investing in communities. Pioneer Foods’ locally relevant product portfolio is a strong complement to our current product line in the region, with strong positions in cereals, juices, and other nutritional food staples, including well-known brands like Weet-Bix, Liqui-Fruit, Ceres, Sasko, Safari, Spekko, and White Star.
Meeting nutritional needs through The PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation is another vehicle for providing nutritious food to the underserved. Through grants to, and collaborative partnerships with, selected nonprofit organizations, The PepsiCo Foundation and its partners provide nutritious food to communities across the globe.
The U.N. estimates that nearly 9 percent of the world's population suffers from hunger. Often, this is not a problem of food scarcity, but rather one of logistics. Food for Good, our signature nutrition operation, was created more than a decade ago by a group of enterprising employees who wanted to leverage the logistical know-how and technical expertise of PepsiCo—one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies—to help get nutritious food to those in need. For the Food for Good program, see our website, here.