PepsiCo New Zealand is committed to reducing the saturated fat, sodium and added sugars for Kiwi consumers.
Exciting news from the potato crisp industry recently, as PepsiCo NZ evolve healthier processing for NZ’s favourite snacks.
The maker of Bluebird potato chips and other snacks, has changed the cooking oil for its major snack brands to canola oil. The change has significantly reduced the amount of saturated fat in Bluebird Original Cut potato chips, Bluebird Thick Cut potato chips, alongside the rest of their range.
For some of the company’s iconic brands, the saturated fat content has been reduced by as much as 85%.
General manager of PepsiCo New Zealand, Ali Hamza, said it was a significant reformulation milestone.
“We’re proud to be rolling out this change in New Zealand to many of our great snack brands including Bluebird” Mr Hamza said.
“Consumer needs and preferences are changing, and Kiwis are more concerned about their health and wellness than ever before. Switching to cooking in canola oil for our major snack brands means more than 90% of our local snack portfolio now meets our global 2025 goal to reduce saturated fat in our products to no more than 1.1 grams per 100 calories. The team has been making several changes to our portfolio, products and packaging to ensure we can meet our consumers’ needs. We want to make it easier for consumers to make informed choices for themselves and their families,” Mr Hamza said.
“We’ve been working to reduce the amount of added sugars, saturated fat and sodium in our food and beverages, provide consumers with more nutritious options, ensure our products have clear ingredient labelling information and of course, meet the highest standards for food quality and safety.”
PepsiCo New Zealand is also in the process of rolling out the voluntary Health Star Rating on front of pack packaging for its Bluebird snack brands. Health Star Ratings will be on 44% of PepsiCo New Zealand snack products by early 2020 and we have plans to continue this roll out.
Kiwi consumers can expect to see the new potato chip and flavoured snack products on shelf starting mid-December through to early next year.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi- Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com. In Australia and New Zealand, our portfolio includes much loved brands like Smith’s, Pepsi Max, Red Rock Deli, Sakata, Twisties, Gatorade, Sunbites, and Bluebird.