PURCHASE, NY. — PepsiCo, Inc. has made “significant progress” on reducing added sugars in its beverages and slashing sodium and saturated fats in its convenient foods, according to the company’s 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Summary published July 7.
The summary, which is an evolution from the company’s prior sustainability reports, shows PepsiCo achieved its saturated fat reduction goal four years ahead of schedule in 2021. The company had set a goal of getting more than 75% of its convenient foods portfolio to not exceed 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 calories by 2025. In 2021, PepsiCo said 75% of its convenient foods portfolio met the goal, up from 71% in 2020 and 62% in 2019.
“Reaching our goal in advance of the 2025 target year is an exciting milestone, but we recognize that our work isn’t done,” PepsiCo said. “The deadly conflict in Ukraine has led to global shortages of healthier oils, and we will need to continue working to find solutions to maintain the nutritional composition of our convenient foods. Additionally, changes to our portfolio resulting from acquisitions and divestitures may continue to impact our progress.”
PepsiCo also made progress on its sodium reduction goal. In 2021, 66% of the company’s convenient foods portfolio volume did not exceed 1.3 mg of sodium per calorie, up from 64% in 2020 and 61% in 2019. PepsiCo has set a goal of more than 75% of its convenient foods portfolio reaching the target by 2025.
PepsiCo said significant sodium reductions were implemented in Turkey on its Doritos Taco product and in Egypt, renovations to the Cheetos brand for Cheese and Flaming Hot varieties also resulted in notable sodium reductions.
Another area of progress was noted in sugar reduction, where PepsiCo has set a goal of more than 67% of its beverage portfolio volume having less than 100 calories from added sugars per 12-oz serving. At the end of 2021, 53% of the company’s beverage portfolio volume had reached the targeted level, up from 48% in 2020 and 47% in 2019.
In addition to its health and wellness goals, PepsiCo said it is reinventing how packaging is made and offering consumers more sustainable packaging solutions.
“We’re transforming our product portfolio to use materials that prioritize the environment and deliver high-quality beverages and convenient foods without the need for single-use packaging,” PepsiCo said. “Our efforts focus on reducing the environmental impact of our packaging by developing plastics from non-food, plant-based sources and exploring biodegradable or compostable options. We’re also developing new business models and solutions that reduce packaging, such as drink powders and concentrates, and extending the reach of innovative reuse solutions like SodaStream and SodaStream Professional.”
