PepsiCo to Develop Sweeteners for Low-Calorie Drinks

PepsiCo today announced a four-year partnership with flavors firm Senomyx Inc. to develop and commercialize natural sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. New discoveries will be used to lower the calorie content of future PepsiCo beverages.

"This relationship with Senomyx reflects our increasingly long-term approach to research and development as well as our belief that global food and beverage companies can play an important role in identifying new ingredients that can lead to healthier products," said Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo's chief scientific officer.

"The real challenge is to create products that not only are healthier but also taste great, and Senomyx has unique technologies that will allow us to improve the nutritional profile of our products without sacrificing taste. We're very optimistic that this collaboration will help us achieve our commitment to reduce added sugar per serving by 25% in key brands in key markets over the next decade and ultimately help people around the world live healthier lives."

PepsiCo says that it will own the exclusive rights to the Senomyx sweet flavor ingredients developed under the collaboration for use in nonalcoholic beverage categories.

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