In this short, one minute video, Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo’s Chief Scientific Officer talks about ‘Performance with Purpose’ at PepsiCo’s Senior Management Meeting in Orlando last week. Read more

I’m writing from Yankee Stadium in New York City – the site of PepsiCo’s investor meeting this year – where we just announced global goals in the areas of human, environment, and talent sustainability. It’s a momentous day for our company as we make these bold commitments that push the limits of what’s achievable for a global food and beverage business. These goals are a critical part of our Performance with Purpose mission.  Performance with Purpose is PepsiCo’s promise to deliver sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet. As a global food and beverage company with brands that stand for quality and are respected household names—Quaker Oats, Tropicana, Gatorade, Lay’s and Pepsi-Cola, to name a few—we will continue to build a portfolio of enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages, find innovative ways to reduce the use of energy, water and packaging,... Read more

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report today called, “Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieving Global Health.” The report is of great interest to my colleagues at PepsiCo and me because it mentions the important role of the private sector in addressing cardiovascular disease (CVD) around the world. It’s also important to note that I served as an IOM committee member for this report and Mehmood Khan and George Mensah’s paper, Changing Practices to Improve Dietary Outcomes and Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: A Food Company’s Perspective, is cited. The report highlights the reality that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 28% of all deaths. Death rates in developing countries such as China, India and Mexico have become much higher than those in developed countries. Of growing concern is that deaths occur up to... Read more

Last week I participated in Agenda 2010: The Turning Point On Poverty sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The conference recognized the progress being made towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals but focused primarily on the MDGs on which the international community is failing to make the most progress: hunger and nutrition, and education and health. The conference addressed conditions needed to enable the MDGs to be met, including economic growth, stable states, the empowerment of women and tackling climate change. PepsiCo was one of two food companies, along with Unilever, invited to participate along with over 80 technical experts, key ministers and policy makers from developing countries. Of particular interest was DFID unveiling their first global under nutrition program which targets six countries. Two of them, Nigeria and India, coincide with work PepsiCo is doing in those countries on under-nutrition. I also was... Read more

I am pleased to highlight our new global policy to stop the sale of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools by 2012. This voluntary commitment makes PepsiCo the first major beverage company to implement such a consistent global approach. The policy details were drawn up based on discussions with the World Heart Federation which exemplifies our belief that working in collaboration with a variety of partners is the best way to make a difference in the health of people around the world. We are working with our bottlers, vending companies and distributors – along with parents, community leaders, and school officials around the world – to help make school settings conducive to the health of students. This global school beverage policy advances our existing commitments to reducing calories in schools by offering students a wider range of low-calorie and nutritious beverages in appropriate portions. For... Read more