Approach

Saturated fatty acids, a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds, occur naturally in many foods. While the main dietary sources of saturated fat are meat and dairy products, all fats and oils in a diet will contain a mixture of fatty acids including a proportion of saturated fatty acids. The current WHO dietary guidelines recommend that no more than 10% of total dietary energy intake be derived from saturated fat. For an average adult consuming 2,000 kcal per day, this equates to a maximum of approximately 20 grams (g) of saturated fat per day, or approximately 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 Calories.

Informed by these international guidelines and those of national health authorities, we have set a goal that aims to help consumers reduce the amount of saturated fat in their diets. As we strive to reach our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambitions, our goal is that by 2025, at least three quarters of our global foods portfolio sales volume will not exceed 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 Calories.¹ Our goal is designed to shift a significant portion of our convenient foods portfolio towards lower saturated fat levels to make it easier for our consumers to follow WHO’s recommendation by offering more Positive Choices.

Our approach to managing saturated fat within our convenient foods portfolio is led by a cross-functional team with members from the Research & Development (R&D), Marketing and Commercialization functions, and is guided by PepsiCo’s Nutrition Criteria. These science-based, category-specific criteria are based on recommendations for food and nutrient intake from leading global and national nutrition authorities including the WHO, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Academy of Medicine and national public health authorities.

To better meet both consumer needs and policy and regulatory requirements, we are applying saturated fat reduction and reformulation strategies to our convenient foods portfolio. We are continually exploring different oils to enable us to reduce the level of saturated fat, while also allowing us to maintain our products’ great taste and quality. In addition to reformulating existing products, we are introducing new products with less saturated fat to support our delivery against our global goal.

Progress

By the end of 2023, 77% of our convenient foods sales volume in our Top 23 markets (representing 86% of our global convenient foods sales volume) had saturated fat levels at or below 1.1 g per 100 Calories.² We have met or exceeded our 2025 target each year since 2021 — but we recognize that our work isn’t done. We plan 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.

As we strive to reduce saturated fat in our products, we have made progress, yet faced challenges along the way.

What's next?

International challenges, including the conflict in Ukraine and lingering impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased pressure on food poverty and diet quality globally. Additionally, the conflict is expected to continue to impact the availability of alternative oils produced from commodities sourced from Russia and/or Ukraine. As consumers look to eat healthier, we plan to continue to reinvent and redesign existing products as well as innovate new products to improve the nutritional quality of our food and to support consumers in making Positive Choices.