Product labeling and claims

Why it matters

Approach

In pursuit of our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) Positive Choices ambition, we aim to build trust with our consumers through transparency — including by adopting consistent nutritional labeling and continuing to explore opportunities for environmental labeling.

PepsiCo's Global Labeling Policy

PepsiCo’s policy is to comply with all relevant labeling laws and regulations in all markets in which its convenient food and drinks are sold. We comply with local labeling legislation, while aiming to have a consistent approach to nutritional labeling across the world, based on the following:

• On the side or back of our packages (BOP), we provide nutrition information per 100 g/ml or per serving on the amount of energy (as calories, kilocalories or kilojoules) and on key nutrients — protein, carbohydrate, total sugars, total fat, saturated fat and sodium. We also include nutritional information for nutrients for which a health or nutrition claim is made.
• On the front-of-pack (FOP) labeling in all countries, we provide information on energy (as calories, kilocalories or kilojoules) per 100 g/ml or per serving.
• In countries where information is available, we provide the percentage of the official Guideline Daily Amounts, Daily Values or equivalents for energy, total fat, saturated fat, sodium/salt and total sugars on either the front, side or back of pack.

Please see our Global Labeling Policy for more information.

Front-of-pack labeling

Consumers, governments and other stakeholders may recommend interpretative FOP labeling with an aim to help provide consumers with nutrition information at a glance and enable quick purchasing and consumption decisions. There is no central, global approach to FOP labeling — in practice, local legislation requires a wide variety of FOP labels. These include labels calling out a positive nutritional profile and others using color-coded traffic light labeling and warning signs. The proliferation of labeling schemes makes it challenging for PepsiCo to adopt a single global FOP labeling system.

PepsiCo supports labeling that:

• Is science-based;
• Reflects ongoing reformulations by companies and rewards those that offer a range of options including reduced added sugars, saturated fats and sodium;
• Discourages or does not add to a proliferation of labeling schemes around the world; and
• Helps consumers make informed choices.

Nutrition and health claims

PepsiCo uses nutrition and health claims on-pack and through other marketing channels to provide consumers with relevant nutrition or product information to help enable informed choices. If we make a health or nutrition claim, or when we add a nutrient for fortification purposes, we provide information in accordance with local regulations or guidelines. Where those do not exist, we use, at a minimum, those set out by Codex Alimentarius food standards, guidelines and codes of practice compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), including Codex CAC/GL 23-1997 Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims and CAC/GL 9-1987 General Principles for Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods. Our internal guidance on fortification refers to the WHO/FAO Guidelines on food fortification with micronutrients (2006) where appropriate.

Substantiation of health and nutrition claims

PepsiCo’s Global Standards for Health and Nutrient Claims ensure a global, consistent approach to substantiate claims in a systematic, comprehensive and transparent manner. The standards require that claims are:

• Truthful and not misleading,
• Verifiable, substantiated and accurate,
• Clear and specific,
• Consistent with internal PepsiCo brand guardrails; and
• Compliant with local regulations.

Health and nutrition claims may also need approval from a regional PepsiCo Claims Council (PCC). PCCs are cross-functional teams with representation from Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Sciences departments as well as others who may be required on an ad hoc basis. We believe this process helps ensure that claims are properly substantiated regardless of whether local laws regarding health claims are in place.

Environmental claims

Environmental claims can help consumers learn how the ingredients in the food and drinks they consume were grown, processed and packaged and make informed choices. There is not a single accepted methodology to substantiate environmental claims globally, but given local consumer and brand interest, we follow internal processes to develop, assess and execute applicable product claims, including PCCs.

Progress

We follow local nutrition labeling regulations in all markets where our products are sold. In terms of compliance with our internal policy, across our top 23 markets in 2024:

• We included the energy and nutrient content on BOP label nearly 98% of the time.
• We included the energy on the FOP label approximately 70% of the time.¹

We continue to actively engage and guide external environmental labeling developments. As we explore opportunities in environmental labeling, we will continue aiming to drive positive outcomes through our brands globally, with initiatives activated locally staying true to the challenges and opportunities in each of the markets. In 2023, we updated the labeling for our beverage portfolio in the U.S. and Canada to include a recycling call to action, “Refresh then recycle,” to advance our brands with a positive impact goal.

What's next?

We will continue aiming to ensure our labels provide consumers with easy-to-understand information about the nutritional content of our products and complying with labeling requirements wherever our products are sold.