April 16, 2012

PLANO, Texas, April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division announced today the expansion of the Smartfood brand to include popped chips, popcorn, and puffed corn under the Smartfood Selects name.

Smartfood Selects snacks are made with all natural ingredients – no artificial flavors or preservatives, or ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). To help busy consumers make informed choices, each package features nutrition icons on the front of the package that highlight calories per serving, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Select items carry a whole grain stamp that helps clearly identify which products offer at least 8 grams of whole grains. Smartfood Selects products can be found in the "natural aisle" of most grocery stores.

"Consumers have come to expect added value from the products they buy, and snacks are no exception. Great taste is a must, but consumers also demand smart options," said Daniel Naor, senior vice president of growth ventures, Frito-Lay North America. "Smartfood Selects offer a variety of light-textured and airy snacks with smart combinations of herbs and spices, and all natural ingredients."

The Smartfood brand has been creating delicious, fresh-tasting White Cheddar Cheese popcorn for the past 25 years. The new line of Smartfood Selects snacks features a smart combination of select ingredients to create delicious flavors:

  • Parmesan Herb Popcorn: The bold cheese flavor of Parmesan and the herb aromatics of basil and parsley are a perfect combination. Garlic, onion, and black pepper round out the flavors.
  • Buffalo Cheddar Popcorn: This zesty flavor combination is inspired by spicy buffalo wing sauce, cooled by cheddar cheese. It's made even more delicious with hints of cayenne, pepper, vinegar, paprika, garlic, and onion.
  • Cinnamon Brown Sugar Popcorn: The bittersweet molasses in sweet brown sugar pairs perfectly with warm, woody cinnamon for a delicious combination.
  • Sour Cream Onion Puffed Corn: Sour cream and onion work so well together because the cooling effect of sour cream balances the up-front, tangy flavor of onion. A tasteful touch of herbs complement this classic, popular flavor combination.
  • Italian Herb Multigrain Popped Chips: Basil and oregano grow happily together in the Mediterranean climate, which is why they are such a great pair in Italian cooking.
  • Cinnamon Brown Sugar Multigrain Popped Chips: This flavor is twice as nice, starting with a naturally sweet blend of grains in the multigrain chips, and then topped off with cinnamon and brown sugar for a delightfully sweet treat.
  • Feta Herb Hummus Popped Chips: Herbs are a natural accompaniment to cheese. This delicious recipe combines feta cheese with rosemary, basil, and black pepper for flavor that perfectly complements the hummus popped chip.
  • Garlic Tomato Basil Hummus Popped Chips: By roasting the garlic in this hummus-based popped chip, the natural sugars have been caramelized to give it a sweet flavor. Parmesan, tomato, basil, and thyme complement the garlic.

Smartfood Selects Popcorn is available in 6-ounce bags, Smartfood Selects Puffed Corn is available in 4-ounce bags and Smartfood Selects Popped Chips are available in 3.25-ounce bags. All varieties have a suggested retail price of $3.29. These products are also Kosher certified as designated by the "Circle UD" kosher certification.

For more information on the new, great-tasting Smartfood Selects varieties, visit www.smartfood.com.

About Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fritolay, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FritoLay.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America