"Frito-Lay" news and stories

There's a good chance that your favorite snack chip is getting a makeover, but will you even notice the difference?

Frito-Lay, which satisfies more salty cravings in the U.S. than any other chip maker, is reformulating the recipes for more than 60 of its snack varieties, according to the Wall Street Journal. It seems the company is trying to take a little bit of the guilt out of the guilty pleasure of munching on its products, from Lay's potato chip and Tostitos to Rold Gold pretzels and multigrain SunChips.

By the end of the year, Frito-Lay wants at least half of the chips it sells in the U.S. to contain all natural ingredients. That means no more monosodium glutamate or artificial red food coloring, for example.

Everything you love about potato chips comes down to the combination of three basic flavors: potatoes, oil and salt. But as health concerns about sodium continue to rise, food manufacturers are scrambling to figure out how to reduce it -- without sacrificing taste.

Research and development executives at PepsiCo, the company that owns Frito-Lay, think they have the answer. And it's a solution only a chemist could love: They're going to change the basic shape of salt.

A quick high-school science class recap: Salt molecules are basic cubes, which means it takes each crystal awhile to break down in your mouth when you're chomping on chips.

In celebration of National Chip Day (March 14th), Frito-Lay is giving away a year's worth of potato chips to one lucky Slashfood reader. How do you win? It's as simple as telling us your favorite Lay's chip flavor in the comment section -- from barbecue to salt-and-vinegar to the classic crunch of the original.

Continuing in the spirit of the fried snack, the Frito-Lay truck will be driving around New York City, handing out thousands of free bags this Sunday.

Truck stops and complete contest rules after the jump.

When the box of snacks first showed up on my doorstep, I was unimpressed. I figured, how different could these be from anything else on the market? Nuts are nuts, right? Turns out, I was wrong. These new snacks from Frito-Lay, called TrueNorth, are fantastic. They are fresh-tasting, unique and made out of easily pronounceable ingredients (when Scott first picked up a package, he said, "Wow, I actually know what everything on the ingredient list is.").

They come in eight varieties, ranging from nut crisps (the peanut ones are amazing with a drop of honey), to nut clusters (by far my favorite and highly addictive), to nut crunchies (I didn't love these quite as much, but they were still quite tasty). The nut clusters are a bit sweet and would make a great snack to take with you on an airplane or car trip, as they are compact, high in protein and have a little sweetness in them as well, which makes them an energizing snack (sugar for quick energy and then protein for the slow burn). With all the crap in packaged food these days, it's really nice to see a large food corporation making food that keeps things simple and natural.

Honestly, the only thing I didn't like about this product was the marketing materials. They're a little cheesy, announcing that "By naming the nut snacks TrueNorth, Frito-Lay hopes to celebrate its passion for nuts and inspire other people to find their own true north." I can appreciate the sentiment behind that statement, but they are still just snacks. I don't think they're going to be changing anyone's life.

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It is a well-known fact that, whether they be made of corn, potato or other variety of vegetable matter, chips aren't a health food. However, they are delicious little buggers and so despite the danger that they present to the waistline, many of us keep on crunching away.

The Frito-Lay company, in an attempt to respond to some of the health concerns related to the high levels of salt in their chips, has recently released a line of chips that they're calling "A Pinch of Salt." They've reduced the level of sodium in several of their most popular chip lines between 30 and 50%.

I had the opportunity to taste chips from the two bags you see above and I must say that I was really impressed by the flavor of both products. While I've never been one to avoid salt due to health concerns, I don't like to eat overly salty foods because while a little salt can enhance flavor, too much of it can mask the natural flavor of the food you're eating. I found when the amount of salt was reduced I could really taste the corn and potato from which the chips were made. Whether you like less salty foods, or are trying to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, this new line of chips could be a good choice.