For the past several months, the food scientists at PepsiCo have been working overtime to dream up new products that meet young consumers’ health and wellness demands. First, there was a new Starbucks coffee protein drink. Then, there were dustless Cheetos. And now, the company’s latest innovation is Doritos Protein.
Doritos Protein launched in select retailers this month and come in two different flavors: classic Nacho Cheese and Sweet & Tangy BBQ. One 28 gram serving of these chips contains 10 grams of protein and 150 calories, compared to the meager two grams of protein in a 28 gram, 150 calorie serving of standard Doritos Nacho Cheese. And, unlike regular Doritos, Doritos Protein contain no artificial colors or flavors, relying instead on naturally derived ingredients.
Based on taste alone, though, you might not even be able to tell the difference between a standard Dorito and a protein Dorito. Jason Niermann, R&D senior director at PepsiCo Foods North American Snacking, says that was the goal.
“We tried dozens of protein snacks that were available in our market, and we did see a lot of trade-offs in products,” Niermann says. “They can be dry, they can be chalky, they can have off flavors. We knew that our consumers have a very high expectation on flavor and crunch. And, as a team, we really wanted to raise the bar on quality and hold ourselves to very high standards that we could be proud of.”
How PepsiCo is rethinking its iconic snacks
For PepsiCo, Doritos Protein fit into a growing portfolio of snacks and beverages designed to cater to an audience of wellness-obsessed consumers.
These innovations range from the new Pepsi Prebiotic Cola to SmartFood Fiber Pop, Quaker Protein oats, Sun Chips Fiber whole grain, and the aforementioned dye-free Cheetos. According to data collected by PepsiCo, 86% of Americans are actively looking to add more protein to their diets, while 70% want their salty snacks to contain protein—marking out a major opportunity for the company to protein-ify its iconic chips.
PepsiCo is also actively working to reduce its usage of artificial colors and flavors, in tandem with new initiatives from the Trump administration to phase out certain synthetic dyes. Right now, the company is testing natural alternatives to color its core products like Gatorade and Cheetos—a process that it expects to take several years. In the meantime, starting this year, all of the company’s new innovations in the U.S. will be made without artificial colors or flavors.
