• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

2

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

3

IBM’s CEO disagrees with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s disdain for texting in meetings: ‘Telling people they can't use their technology would be weird’

1

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

2

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

3

IBM’s CEO disagrees with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s disdain for texting in meetings: ‘Telling people they can't use their technology would be weird’
Change the World

How Pepsi Is Changing the World

By
Ryan Derousseau
Ryan Derousseau
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ryan Derousseau
Ryan Derousseau
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 22, 2016, 8:00 AM ET
Courtesy of Pepsi
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The staff of Fortune and a panel of experts recently named 50 companies to its 2016 Change the World list. PepsiCo is one of them.

For a company whose name is synonymous with a soda that has 10 teaspoons of sugar per can, discussing the sweetener’s perils could have amounted to self-immolation. But PepsiCo (PEP) declared a decade ago it wanted healthier products, including foods and beverages that would reduce consumers’ exposure to salt, saturated fats and, yes, even sugar.

Skeptics could argue that PepsiCo has simply been adjusting to consumer tastes—U.S. carbonated soda consumption fell to 30-year lows last year. Whatever the driving impulse, its “Everyday Nutrition” portfolio, which includes bottled water, now accounts for 25% of revenues. Pepsi also bolstered R&D spending by 40% since 2011 to create new offerings, like all-natural juice Tropicana Essentials in the UK or low-calorie Mountain Dew Kickstart (it has the “legs to be the next billion dollar brand,” says chief scientific officer Mehmood Khan) As for Pepsi cola? It now accounts for just 12% of sales.

For more on the list, watch this Fortune video:

A version of this article appears in Fortune’s September 1 issue as part of the Fortune Change the World list, our annual ranking of major companies whose business activities are having a positive social impact. Click here to see the entire package.

About the Author
By Ryan Derousseau
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.