PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America business unit has launched two Lightly Salted varieties of chips for the US market. Fritos Lightly Salted corn chips and Ruffles Lightly Salted potato chips join Lay’s Lightly Salted potato chips, containing around 50% less sodium per one ounce serving than their original counterparts, the firm said yesterday. “The number one request from consumers is for lower sodium versions of snacks,” said Ann Mukherjee, chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay... ...Read more »

The Federal Government’s commitment to spend $900,000 over three years to make foods healthier in Australia has been applauded by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) today. In this week’s Budget, the Government committed new funding to the Food and Health Dialogue to develop a rationale for food reformulation - which includes reducing salt, fat and increasing fibre in foods for all Australians. Under the Dialogue, leading food manufacturers are working to improve the diets... ...Read more »

PepsiCo yesterday (22 March) set out its plans to reduce the amount of salt, saturated fat and added sugar in its products. The US food giant, which owns brands including Lay’s crisps and Quaker cereals, said it would cut the amount of salt in its “key global food brands in key markets” by 25% by 2015. The company plans to reduce the average saturated fat per food serving by 15% and cut the average added sugar in its key drinks brands by 25% by 2020. “We believe that a healthier... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods announced its intention to reduce the salt content of its North American products by an average of 10% over the next two years. “We are reducing sodium because it’s good for consumers, and, if done properly, it’s good for business,” said Rhonda Jordan, President, Health & Wellness, Kraft Foods. “A growing number of consumers are concerned about their sodium intake and we want to help them translate their intentions into actions.” Kraft has been... ...Read more »

US food manufacturer Heinz last week announced a reduction of sodium by 15 per cent in its core line of ketchup beginning mid year. “As the largest producer of ketchup in the U.S., Heinz is dedicated to meeting the growing consumer demand for better-for-you products, particularly with lower sodium,” said Idamarie Laquatra, Director of Global Nutrition, Heinz. “Heinz Ketchup is proud to provide consumers with lower sodium ketchup with the great taste that Americans expect.” In... ...Read more »

The salt content of food bought in UK supermarkets has reduced by the equivalent of nearly 8,000 tonnes in the past two years, according to new research. The research, conducted by Kantar Worldpanel on behalf of the Food and Drink Federation - the leading representative of manufacturers in the UK, analysed the information on the nutrition labels of 100,000 products bought by 25,000 households and found the net salt content of all purchases decreased by 7,667 tonnes - or 5.3% - between September 2007... ...Read more »

The Australian food and beverage industry is taking practical steps to help Australians reduce their salt intake, the country’s leading representative of food and beverage manufacturers has promised as World Salt Awareness Week kicks off. “While salt is an important part of our diet, we know that eating too much can contribute to high blood pressure and other cardio vascular illnesses,” Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Chief Executive Kate Carnell said. “That’s... ...Read more »

New research has discovered that there remains significant potential for sodium reduction in Australian processed food products, as food manufacturers report progress in their attempts to reduce salt content. A definitive baseline assessment of current sodium concentrations in foods is the key to targeting reformulation strategies and monitoring progress, the report - A Systematic Survey of the Sodium Contents of Processed Foods - advised. An analysis of 7221 products in 10 food groups and 33 food... ...Read more »

Despite the financial crisis, the food industry is continuing efforts to help consumers better manage their diets, an independent survey of over 1,500 food and drinks companies commissioned by the CIAA (Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU) in 5 major European markets has found. Over 20% of all surveyed companies reduced the amount of saturated fat, salt/sodium or sugars in their products last year, the survey discovered. A quarter of the companies stated that they increased the... ...Read more »

A commitment to reduce sugar levels in cereals advertised to children by an average of 20% has been announced by Cereal Partners Worldwide*, a global joint venture between food giants Nestlé and General Mills. In Australia, their brands include Nestlé’s Milo cereals and Uncle Tobys cereal. The joint venture said that the sugar reduction would be carried out using existing technologies - as well as through advances that will be developed by the new CPW Innovation Centre, once it is fully operational... ...Read more »