Frito-Lay’s initiative on elimination of trans fats

28/12/05 As of January 2006, all food manufacturers will be required to list the amount of trans fat in a serving of each food item on the Nutrition Facts panel. In 2003, Frito-Lay, Inc. was the first major food company to have made this change to its core products, well in advance of the Food & Drug Administration mandate for trans fat labeling. This was part of the company's proactive elimination of trans fats.

Frito-Lay eliminated trans fats by converting from hydrogenated oils to corn and sunflower oils. In addition to being trans fat-free oils, they are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (commonly known as omega-6), which health experts recommend.

As the first major food company to accomplish this undertaking -- most importantly without compromising taste and quality -- Frito-Lay reduced the amount of trans fats in the American diet. This industry leading elimination of trans fats from its products was well received by consumers, retail partners and healthcare professions.

Along with listing the trans fat content on the Nutrition Facts panel of its core products, Frito-Lay also included a "0 grams trans fat" message on the front of select packaging to help consumers more easily identify snacks that contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving.

These efforts are part of Frito-Lay's tradition of leadership through product innovation. In the early 80s, Frito-Lay moved to using polyunsaturated oils in its snacks. In the mid 80s, the company launched reduced fat snacks. In the early 90s, the first great tasting Baked! snacks were introduced.

Most recently, Frito-Lay began to label select products with the Smart Spot* symbol as part of a PepsiCo-wide effort to help consumers identify snack choices that contribute to healthier lifestyles.

Frito-Lay North America is the convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo divisions include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051227/datu001.html?.v=32