PepsiCo India has begun trials to replace palm oil and palmolein with a mixture of sunflower oil and palmolein in Lay’s, India’s top potato chip brand, reported The Economic Times.
This move comes in response to increasing criticism regarding the use of palm oil, a cheaper but considered unhealthy ingredient, in packaged foods across India.
In the United States, where PepsiCo is headquartered and operates its largest market, the company uses “heart healthy” oils like sunflower, corn, and canola oil for Lay’s chips.
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“Our chips are cooked in oils that may be considered heart healthy. Sunflower, corn and canola oils contain good mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which can help lower LDL bad cholesterol and maintain HDL good cholesterol as part of a calorie controlled diet.,” said PepsiCo on its US website.
A spokesperson from PepsiCo India quoted in the report said that the trials involving this blend in some of its products began last year, making the company “one of the few players in the food industry in India” to take this step.
Palmolein is a liquid derived from the refining of palm oil, both sourced from the oil palm fruit. Palm oil remains semi-solid at room temperature.
PepsiCo India is also working on reducing salt in its snacks to less than 1.3 milligrams of sodium per calorie by the year 2025, the report quoted the spokesperson.
The use of palm oil is common among dozens of packaged food brands in India, including salty snacks, biscuits, chocolates, noodles, bread, and ice cream, due to its lower cost compared to sunflower or soyabean oil.
Lay’s classic salted chips are available in India starting at Rs 10, marking one of the lowest price points for the global brand.
Packaged food companies, particularly multinational corporations, have faced criticism from nutritionists, health advocates, and social media influencers for using different and often cheaper or less healthy ingredients in their products sold in developing nations compared to those sold in the US and Europe.
Nestle India recently announced plans to introduce a no-added-sugar variant of its infant food Cerelac, following controversy surrounding higher sugar levels in Asian and African countries.
This came after a report from Swiss investigative organization Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network revealed that Cerelac contained nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving in India, with higher sugar levels observed in Nestle’s infant foods in low-and-middle-income countries compared to developed markets like the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.
Apart from Lay’s, PepsiCo India’s food portfolio includes Doritos, Kurkure, and Quaker products.
The company has set a goal that by 2025, at least three-fourths of its food portfolio volume will not exceed 1.3 milligrams of sodium per calorie, the report mentioned citing the spokesperson.
He further said that recipes for foods and beverages vary across countries based on local preferences, manufacturing capabilities, ingredient availability, and market dynamics, highlighting that all product ingredients are listed to enable consumers to make informed decisions.
Published On:
May 9, 2024
