Snack Chat

Frito-Lay Helps Put Flavor On The Menu at FNCE 2011!

Earlier this week, I attended the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in San Diego, Calif. I always love to talk to fellow registered dietitians (RD) at the conference about the new and exciting things that Frito-Lay is doing to support wholesome snacking. This year, we were very excited to share we’re starting to add a gluten free indicator to many Frito-Lay chip bags, as we’re going through a process to qualify applicable snacks as gluten free (meaning they contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten).  Although many of our snacks have always been made without gluten ingredients, the gluten free claim on bags will help answer questions some people may have about gluten in our snacks. The RDs I spoke with at FNCE told me this new labeling would be very helpful to their patients and clients with celiac disease, as it makes it so much easier for them when searching for gluten free foods.

Also at the conference, Frito-Lay sponsored an education session for dietitians titled “Putting Flavor on the Menu in a Low Sodium World.” The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we reduce our sodium intake to 2300 mg per day, and that certain individuals at risk for developing heart disease reduce even further to 1500 mg per day. But only 1 out of every 10 Americans is currently hitting these recommended sodium targets. To shed some light on why this might be the case, Kris Sollid, RD from the International Food Information Council, presented some fascinating information from their recent Food and Health Survey about American’s current knowledge and behaviors around sodium. Sollid reported that people often avoid products labeled as low sodium because these fear they are not going to taste good. Consumers also said they are most likely to limit their salt use during or after food preparation.

Sarah Levy, MPH, RD from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, also presented as part of this session, and she covered challenges and current efforts by the food industry around sodium reduction. Many people don’t know that salt often plays a role in food beyond just taste -- it is also an important factor in food safety, preservation, and in creating the right texture of some foods. For example, bread will not rise without the addition of salt. Many companies are making efforts to reduce sodium wherever possible, and we’re part of that group! Frito-Lay is reducing sodium by an average of nearly 25% in our flavored potato chips this year, and we’re proud to be able to keep delivering the great tasting snacks our fans love, but with reduced sodium.

Every year at FNCE I enjoy the opportunity to learn new information about my field, the food industry and our consumers, and also to educate others. 2011 was no exception!

- Danielle

We also had a chance to do a quick interview with Kathy and Lauren from NutritionBabes.com to find out what they learned this year and what they're looking forward to at FNCE 2012!

Frito-Lay at FNCE - NutritionBabes podcast

 

 

 

Happy Golden Anniversary, Frito-Lay!

At Frito-Lay, we’re celebrating a big milestone this month. In September 1961, Dallas-based Frito Co., founded by C.E. Doolin, and Atlanta-based H.W. Lay & Co., founded by Herman Lay, merged to form Frito-Lay, Inc. (Doolin and Lay are shown here with some of their original chip-making equipment.) The goal of the companies, which both started as small, one-man operations, was to create a national reach for their popular snacks. They soon achieved that goal and more, with the company continuing to grow, building new plants, reaching more and more retailers and becoming a pioneer in new kinds of packaging, advertising and manufacturing.

We’re celebrating our “golden anniversary” with employees this week by looking back at different parts of the company’s past – from the original merger in 1961, to coming together with Pepsi in 1965 to form PepsiCo, to launching Doritos in 1966 and Tostitos in 1981, to our advertising icons such as Baby Horton and W.C. Fritos, and much more.

When it comes to company history, though, I’m always struck by how much knowledge and many fond memories not only our employees but even those outside the company have of Frito-Lay. Nearly every time I tell someone I’ve just met that I work for Frito-Lay, he or she tells me a story about their favorite Frito-Lay snack or commercial – from Baby Boomers recalling the Cheetos Mouse or Lay’s ads starring Bert Lahr to sports fans remembering when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird were in our advertising to political junkies laughing about Mario Cuomo and Ann Richards appearing together in a Doritos commercial. It’s a huge source of pride for our employees that our snacks and ads have become icons of American culture across generations, and I think I speak for everyone at the company when I say I never get tired of hearing our fans share their memories.

So, do you have a favorite Frito-Lay memory? Whether it’s a recipe your mom used to make with Fritos, a favorite Cracker Jack prize, an unforgettable Lay’s or Doritos commercial, or anything else, I’d love to hear about it!

- Katherine

In honor of our 50th anniversary, Executive Chef Stephen Kalil created a special Fritos Pie Remix using Lay's Classic potato chips as the extreme ingredient. Check it out!

Crash the Super Bowl is Back with the Hottest Grand Prize to Date!

Football season is here and so is the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest. This year, Doritos is offering the most life-changing contest grand prize to date: a guaranteed opportunity to work on an upcoming Doritos project with one of the hottest teams in the entertainment industry -- The Lonely Island.

Made up of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the Lonely Island is one of the most sought-after creative teams in the entertainment business. They’ve become a pop culture phenomenon, best known for their hilarious, off-the-wall digital shorts like Grammy-nominated “I’m on a Boat,” “Like a Boss” and “Lazy Sunday.”

As in previous years, consumers will be invited to create homemade Doritos ads. Then it will be up to America to vote for the lucky fan finalist who will have the chance to see his or her ad air during the big game and win the grand prize career opportunity. 

And, in one of the contest’s most unique twists to date, The Lonely Island will also create a Doritos ad that will air during the Super Bowl broadcast, going head-to-head with the winning consumer-created Doritos spot. It’s a contest first, and will make this year’s competition even more exciting. Plus, Doritos is putting a major cash bonus on the line if either Doritos ad that airs during the big game takes the top spot in the USA TODAY Ad Meter rankings. If the consumer-generated spot scores No. 1, its creator wins a $1 million prize. If The Lonely Island spot scores No. 1, Doritos will donate $1 million to their charity of choice.

The Doritos team traveled to New York City this week to kick off the contest. Joining them were last year’s Crash the Super Bowl winners JR Burningham and his fiancée/business partner, Tess Ortbals (pictured). Their “Pug Attack” ad took the top spot on the Ad Meter during Super Bowl XLV, winning them $1 million in prize money. JR and Tess will serve as special advisers to this year’s program, offering tips to contest entrants throughout the submissions phase.

To learn more, visit the Crash the Super Bowl consumer website and read some of the buzz that's already building around this year’s contest.

- Alexia

We're Heading West for the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo!

Today, we’re excited to introduce a new member of the Snack Chat blogging team, Katherine Francis! Katherine is a registered dietitian who works in our Research & Development organization here at Frito-Lay headquarters. She’ll be blogging on Snack Chat about the work she and her team are doing to advocate sensible snacking and nutrition from product development to consumer enjoyment. Welcome, Katherine! - Kristin

The Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) is the Super Bowl of nutrition conferences. As a registered dietitian (RD), I have the privilege this week of joining thousands of RDs from all over the country in sunny San Diego to participate in the annual event, which kicks off today! The conference boasts presentations and discussions of current research topics, networking with colleagues, and an enormous exhibit hall where attendees have the chance to talk with industry representatives, sample new products, pick up new educational materials and participate in drawings.

A lot of activity surrounds the Frito-Lay booth this year. The dietitians who visit it will be able to sample new products, including Lay’s Garden Tomato Basil Potato Chips and SunChips Jalapeño Jack Multigrain Snacks – both made with all natural ingredients. My fellow attendees will also be able to sample products to which we have made positive nutrition changes, such as Lay’s BBQ Potato Chips - a great example of how we are reducing sodium by nearly 25% on average across our flavored potato chip lines.

To share a ‘sneak peek’ behind the scenes at Frito-Lay, we often take RDs into our plants to illustrate how our chips are made with simple ingredients by simple processes. This year, we have brought the plant tour to FNCE! By sharing step-by-step information about how we make our snacks, dietitians will understand, how we start with whole corn kernels and end up with Tostitos Tortilla Chips -- and how potatoes become potato chips in less than 15 minutes. In addition to those great activities, we have a surprise for those who want to test their chip knowledge: A ‘Chip Challenge’ they can enter at the booth or on Twitter -- and one lucky participant will win a relaxing day at the spa to relieve that post-FNCE stress!

FNCE is always a very fun weekend for me -- I love running into college peers and professors, as well as networking with other dietitians and having the opportunity to share what we are doing here at Frito-Lay to improve the nutritional quality of America’s favorite snack chips through innovation.

If you’re at FNCE this week, stop by our booth, say hello and take our Chip Challenge! See you there.

- Katherine

National Potato Month Makes Me 'Chip'per

My fellow friends of the potato, you may not be aware that September is National Potato Month. No matter how you spell it, whether you call it a spud or tater, or if you prefer to enjoy it fried, baked, sliced, spiced or salted, it’s our month to celebrate at Frito-Lay -- we use a lot of potatoes! To show your appreciation for the potato, maybe you could paint a still-life of a bowl of potatoes in the sunset or try your hand at some potato puns (like I tried to do with the title). Or perhaps a haiku is your preferred form of expression:

My dear potato.
You’ve always been by my side. . .
Next to my sandwich.

Of course, you could always just enjoy your favorite Frito-Lay potato chips as you celebrate this month of lovely legumes. For example, have a movie night with friends, family and a bag of Lay’s Classic potato chips made with three simple ingredients (potatoes, oil and salt). I also recommend adding an extra crunch with Lay’s Kettle Cooked potato chips or enjoying a lighter bite with Baked! Lay’s potato crisps. If you’re looking for something bolder while watching the games this weekend, Ruffles Molten Hot Wings chips bring the heat to a tailgating favorite.

How will I celebrate? I’ve always been partial to Lay’s Barbecue potato chips. They remind me of grilling with family and friends in the summer -- my favorite time of year. It may officially be fall now, but summer weather doesn’t stop in Texas until late November, so maybe I’ll fire up the grill one last time.

How will you celebrate National Potato Month?

- Joe