Frito-Lay Chips Go All-Natural

Many of Frito-Lay's most popular chips are going all-natural.

Plano-based Frito-Lay North America is using all-natural ingredients in about half of its chip flavors. A new logo tells shoppers the chips have no MSG, preservatives or artificial flavors.

Tim Fink, director of research and development, said it was fun and rewarding experience to switch to natural ingredients for things that "nobody thought could be natural."

"Our salt and vinegar chip probably is our best example," he said. "Now we're using real vinegar instead of an artificial flavor."

Fink oversees the Culinary Innovation Center, the test kitchen at the company's headquarters.

He said people want natural ingredients. A lot of artificial ingredients sound chemical and are hard to understand, he said.

"I think the consumers are looking for something that just makes them feel better about what they're eating," Fink said.

Frito-Lay created new natural flavors, such as Garden Tomato & Basil, and transformed old favorites with all-natural seasonings.

The all-natural chips may also be healthier in some ways. The sodium in Lay's potato chips, for example, is about 25 percent lower.

Many of the all-natural chips have already hit store shelves. The rest will be rolled out by March.

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