PepsiCo to Reduce Soda Calories by 2025

The new initiative will slash the number of calories in the company’s beverages in response to consumer preferences.

October 18, 2016

PURCHASE, N.Y. – PepsiCo will be significantly lowering the number of calories in its beverages over the next nine years, CNBC reports. PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi revealed the move this week as part of the company’s overall sustainability initiative.

“Over the last decade, we have made progress in reducing sugar,” Nooyi said. “But there's a lot more we needed to do because countries which loved sugar were growing faster than countries which were consuming lower-sugar products. … We have to make sure that our products meet the changing consumer needs.”

PepsiCo has pledged that at least two-thirds of its drinks will have 100 calories or less per 12-ounce serving by 2025. The company will focus more on low-cal and zero calorie products as well. “Technology breakthroughs right now are resulting in better-tasting colas, almost as good as the full-sugar colas, but with lower calories,” she said. “So we're now faced with [an] interesting opportunity to step the consumer down to lower sweetness levels.”

The company has already shifted away from soda, which represents less than a quarter of its global revenue these days. PepsiCo already makes unsweetened ready-to-drink iced tea and coffee drinks (under the Pure Leaf and Starbucks brands) and flavored sparkling waters and juices.

PepsiCo is also tackling sodium reduction in its Frito-Lay snacks division. “By applying the seasoning differently, we can actually still make it a salty snack, but with lower sodium levels, and that's what we have managed to do with … our products in countries like the U.K. and China, where we've reduced salt levels significantly,” Nooyi said.

“Consumers are changing their habits because they want to focus a lot more on remaining healthy because they're living longer,” she said. “So they want to remain very healthy for the duration of their lives. And so as consumers change, we have to change our product portfolio.”

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement