PepsiCo: global health commitments

Fat, salt, sugar reductions announced

PepsiCo  has made a number of health-related commitments this month, which have been welcomed as positive steps by many health experts.

First, on 16 March it announced that it is voluntarily adopting a new global policy to stop sales of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools by 2012, the first time a major beverage company has established a consistent global approach on this issue. Dr Kelly Brownell, director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, commented that the company ‘should be applauded’ for taking the step, and that ‘Most historic is the global nature of the promise.’

On 22 March, the CEO of the company, Indra Nooyi, pledged that the company will cut levels of salt, sugar and saturated fats in its top-selling products by a quarter over the next few years. By 2012 it will display calorie counts and key nutrients on its packaging worldwide.

On the same day, PepsiCo UK published its first Health Report 2010, which also includes many pledges on health issues, including:

• By 2015 50% of the company’s savoury snacks will be baked or include ‘positive nutrition’ (PepsiCo’s portfolio includes Walkers snacks in the UK);
• By 2015 65% of carbonated soft drink can and bottle sales will be no-sugar
• By 2015 a single serve calorie cap of 160 calories will be introduced across all savoury snacks (other than those including positive nutrition).

C3 convened a number of stakeholder meetings in summer 2009, at which an early draft of the Health Report was discussed and refined.

It is to be hoped that the company now reports transparently and regularly on these various national and global commitments, so that health experts and others can see the progress that is being made towards the  healthier portfolio.

Sources: PepsiCo Press Release, 16 March 2010; PepsiCo UK website.

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