PepsiCo Makes New Low-Sodium Salt

The company developed the "designer salt" to counter the current call for lower salt in processed foods.

March 23, 2010

PLANO, Texas - In a few days, PepsiCo Inc. will begin testing a secret ingredient in Lay??s potato chips: low-sodium salt, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The new "designer salt" crystals are redesigned to lower the amount of sodium taken in when eaten. PepsiCo is still tweaking the powdery salt, which it thinks will slash salt levels in its Lay??s Classic potato chips by 25 percent. Other chips using the new salt could see even more reductions in sodium levels.

With more local, state and federal officials discussing ways to lower the salt intake of Americans, PepsiCo is one food company that is trying to head off any efforts to mandate sodium levels in food by reducing the amount voluntarily. Earlier this year, New York City asked restaurants and food makers to slash the salt content in their foods by 25 percent over the next five years, while last month a New York assemblyman introduced a bill that would prohibit salt from being added when preparing restaurant food.

Developing this new salt is the latest initiative of PepsiCo to have more healthful ingredients in its foods. Earlier, the manufacturer switched from using transfat to sunflower oil in frying its potato chips. Also, the company spent $414 million last year versus $282 in 2006 on developing or modifying products.

In five years, PepsiCo wants to decrease sodium in its salty snacks by a quarter. "What we want to do with our 'fun for you?? products is to make them the healthiest 'fun for you?? products," said Chairman Indra Nooyi. "We want our potato chips to be fried in the healthiest oils with the lowest salt."

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