"frito lay" news and stories

Frito-Lay is dropping their 100% compostable Sun Chips snacks, not out of any concern over whether the bags actually decompose (they do, in an estimated 14 weeks), but because they're insanely loud. Apparently the crinkling is louder than the average potato chip bag -- as proven here -- and sales have dropped 11% since hitting shelves in January.

Video bloggers have taken to the airwaves with their complaints, among them a pilot who likened it to a jet cockpit mid-flight. Okay, we think that's a stretch, but it's true the bag is louder than most. Even so, has a loud pretzel or ruffled chip ever stopped us from snacking before?

Amy Epstein, managing director of the Americas at ABI marketing public relations, explains that a company's decision to go sustainable involves evaluating how much a consumer is willing to sacrifice for a green product. In this case, she says, if the average consumer were a bit more interested in sustainability, maybe they wouldn't mind the sound. Or maybe Frito-Lay should have tested it out more thoroughly during market research. Companies also have retailers pushing for sustainable products, which they believe is a growing market -- so "there's been a slight shift of focus away from the consumer," says Epstein.

ABI helps sustainable-packaging companies meet their market, so she does applaud the company for raising awareness. This move doesn't mean there won't be another compostable chip bag, just maybe one that isn't so loud.

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.

On Thursday morning, residents of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina were in for a bit of a surprise, especially those who liked Doritos. A damaged tractor-trailer-size shipping container washed up on the beach, bringing with it thousands of bags of the Doritos -- Cool Ranch, Nacho Cheese and Spicy Nacho -- that it contained. Locals, from shopkeepers to fishermen, grabbed as many bags as they could carry from the water and from where they lay strewn on the sand. One person even filled up a pickup truck with them - all in the name of "helping with cleanup," of course. The chips were almost entirely undamaged, thanks to their airtight packaging.

The feeding frenzy only lasted through the morning, as the container was secured, still containing an undetermined number of bags of chips, by the late afternoon. The boat that lost the container has not been tracked down yet, although the missing shipment is sure to be noticed when the crew reaches its eventual destination.

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Out of all the food trends we heard about back in December and January, there was one that is clearly becoming a big deal on th packaged food scene: miniature packaging, aka 100-calorie packs. "100 calories!" seems to be the hot new slogan on food products these days. The past three years have seen the market for portion-controlled packets go from 0 to more than 25 different foods. USA Today reports that 18 of the new products were introduced in 2005 alone. With more coming along this year, there is no indication that this trend is slowing.

Some of the newer products include 100-calorie sodas from brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Shasta. These sodas have a mere 8-ounces per can, fewer than the more standard 12-ounces, and are marketed as being more portable than their full-sized counterparts. Coco-Cola says that they're marketed at consumers who wish to "improve their snacking and drinking opportunities."

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