PepsiCo (PEP) CEO Indra Nooyi has heavily increased her company’s budget for research and development. In fact, she’s doubled it during her tenure. One product to come out of that effort: a 3D-printed potato chip.
Fortune’s Jennifer Reingold wrote about the new technology in a profile of Nooyi for the new Fortune 500 issue. Reingold details the testing of new products from the Pepsi R&D department, including Deep Ridged, which she calls a “thick, super-crunchy potato chip developed first on a 3-D printer.”
Dr. Mehmood Khan, Pepsi’s chief scientific officer, told her. “We have patents on the design, the cutter, the mouth experience. This is multiple layers of IP.”
Among the other products being developed include a Gatorade pod to help athletes get the nutrients they need quickly, a Naked Juice Kale Blazer for juicing fans and a low-calorie Mountain Dew.