PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo Inc. has introduced two new global nutrition goals for 2030, according to its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Overview released June 20.
The annual report highlights these new goals as further reducing sodium and incorporating more diverse ingredients, such as legumes, whole grains, plant proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, into the company’s global portfolio of convenient foods. PepsiCo said 36 percent of its foods are below these new sodium targets, and that it offers 75 billion servings with the specified diverse ingredients.
“For 2023, we have set new goals to further reduce the sodium content of our global convenience food portfolio, taking into account the latest guidance from public health authorities,” PepsiCo said. “Our new goal is for at least three-quarters of the volume of our global convenience food portfolio to meet or fall below category-specific sodium content targets by 2030. The goals cover approximately 30 food categories, from hot cereals to potato chips, veggie chips and tortilla chips, including:
PepsiCo also made progress on its 2025 sodium reduction goal. The company announced that 72% of ready-to-eat food volume sales in major global markets will meet its target of less than 1.3 mg per calorie by the end of 2023. This is a notable improvement compared to 68% in major global markets at the end of 2022.
The company has reformulated its products in various countries to reduce sodium content. These reformulations include Rancheritos and Tostitos Salsa Verde in Mexico, Raffles Queso, Cheetos Crunch Flamin’ Hot Limon, and Baked Lay’s Original in the United States, Miss Vicky’s Lime & Black Pepper and Raffles BBQ in Canada, Doritos BBQ in France, Doritos Cool American in the Netherlands, and Lay’s Yogurt & Herb in Pakistan.
Similarly, PepsiCo found that 62% of beverage volume sales in its top 26 markets worldwide are “in line” with its goal of less than 100 calories of added sugar per 12 ounces, up from 56% at the end of 2022.
Another area of progress noted in the report is sugar reduction. Since 2021, PepsiCo has been meeting its 2025 sugar reduction target, which requires 75% of its ready-to-eat portfolio to have no more than 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 calories. By the end of 2023, PepsiCo found that 77% of ready-to-eat volume sales in its top 23 markets had met this target.
Beyond its health and wellness goals, PepsiCo is continuing to make its packaging more sustainable with a “three-pronged approach” of reduce, recycle and reclaim, the company said.
“By making progress across these pillars, we aim to develop appropriate post-consumer packaging solutions and improve packaging’s carbon footprint and other environmental impacts,” PepsiCo said. “As we address our packaging ambitions, we remain committed to protecting human rights, particularly those of workers in the informal recycling sector. Through each of these three pillars, PepsiCo aims to lead change through active partnerships and stakeholder engagement.”
