Lay’s crisps
‘100% SunSeed® oil’
Karin op den Kamp, Smiths Food Group bv, Pepsico International
Lay’s crisps ‘100% SunSeed® oil’
Lay’s is continuously looking for ways to improve the products. One way to do this is to reduce the amount of saturated fat, including by considering the raw materials used. Lay’s reached a landmark in 2007 when the project ‘Frying in 100% SunSeed® oil’ was completed. The percentage of saturated fats in the crisps has been reduced by 70% in comparison with the average amount in other potato crisps.
The reduction of saturated fat, achieved by using a special oil, is clearly shown in the table, where Lay’s paprika-flavoured crisps - the flavour with the greatest sales in the Netherlands - are compared with other brands of crisps.
Fat composition
| Values per 100 g | Lay’s paprika crisps | Other brands of paprika crisps, averaged |
| Total fat content | 35.0 | 35.2 |
| Saturated fats | 3.5 | 16.7 |
| Unsaturated fats | 31.5 | 18.6 |
SunSeed® oil is a special sunflower oil. Normal sunflower oil contains a large amount of unsaturated fats and little saturated fats in comparison with many other oils. However, due to this composition the oil is not stable enough at high temperatures which results in the taste being affected negatively. Normal sunflower oil is, therefore, less suitable for the preparation of savoury snacks. SunSeed® oil is a special sunflower oil because of the high percentage of oleic acid. Thus, just like normal sunflower oil, this oil contains a large amount of unsaturated fats, but is also stable at higher temperatures. Lay’s SunSeed® oil is, therefore, very suitable for use in the production process.
In order to make the transition gradual, the reduction of the content of saturated fat was carried out in three steps.
Evolution of Lay’s Flat Natural
| Values per 100 g | Lay’s 2004 |
Lay’s 2005 |
Lay’s 2006 |
Lay’s 2007 |
| Total fat content | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Saturated fats | 15 | 11 | 8 | 3.4 |
| Unsaturated fats | 18 | 23 | 26 | 30.4 |
Lay’s crisps do not just contain less saturated fats, they have also retained their taste. In this way Lay’s is contributing to the reduction in the intake of saturated fats. Reducing the intake of saturated fats helps to lower the cholesterol level.
As well as this, Lay’s finds it important to provide extensive nutritional information on all its products. Precisely how many calories there are in a bag of crisps is stated on the labels on all packets.
Core points:
- The process of reducing the amount of saturated fats was carried out in steps to make the transition gradual
- A special type of sunflower oil with a higher percentage of oleic acid is stable enough for use in the production process, without making concessions to the taste
- Lay’s crisps contain less saturated fats while still retaining their own taste
