PepsiCo Inc. has set a target for reducing the amount of sugar in its soft drinks around the world as part of a suite of goals aimed at tackling problems ranging from obesity to climate change.
The New York-based company will announce today that by 2025 at least two thirds of its drinks will have 100 calories or fewer from added sugar per 12 oz. serving, up from about 40 percent now.
The move, which it plans to achieve by introducing more zero and low-calorie drinks and reformulating existing drinks, comes as PepsiCo and rival Coca-Cola come under increasing pressure from health experts and governments who blame them for fueling epidemics of obesity and diabetes.
PepsiCo says the new global target is more ambitious than its previous goal of reducing sugar by 25 percent in certain drinks in certain markets by 2020.
The World Health Organization this month recommended taxes on sugary drinks, as France and Mexico have done, to curb consumption and improve health. The soft drinks industry opposes such taxes.
Its 2025 goals also include targets for lowering sodium and saturated fat in snacks and foods.
PepsiCo is building on goals set out 10 years ago, which targeted nutritional, environmental and social improvements.
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