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PepsiCo launches better-for-you Wow snacking brand from Wotsits and Snack a Jacks. The non-HFSS snacks are made from natural ingredients and flavours PepsiCo has unveiled Wow, a better-for-you snacking brand leveraging Wotsits and Snack a Jacks branding. Multipacks in Wotsits Real Cheesy, Wotsits Lightly Salted and Snack a Jacks Apple & Cinnamon have rolled out in Tesco, ahead of a wider rollout from March 2027 (rsp: £2.30/6x16g). Wow had been developed as a solution for parents seeking healthier snacks "suitable for a range of family occasions", said PepsiCo. The non-HFSS snacks are made from natural ingredients and flavours. Wotsits Real Cheesy and Wotsits Lightly Salted are made from chickpea flour and provide a source of fibre, while Snack a Jacks Apple & Cinnamon is made from corn. Explore related questions. "Wow is all about offering fun snack choices for families," said Lauren Jones, marketing director for better-for-you at PepsiCo. "By bringing Wotsits and Snack a Jacks into this new range, we're giving families more choice across everyday snacking occasions, while creating a new opportunity for retailers within better-for-you snacking." It is not the first time PepsiCo has launched healthier snacks under the Wotsits brand. In 2024, it debuted Yummy With, comprising snacks made with chickpea and boasting 25% less salt than the average extruded product. Packs in Wotsits Cheese Toastie, Wotsits Crispy Bacon and Monster Munch BBQ Sauce rolled out across grocery and convenience, but were last seen in Tesco and on Ocado in May, having been widely delisted elsewhere, Assosia data shows. The launch of Wow woud be supported by retail media and a wider launch plan to drive shopper awareness and visibility, PepsiCo said. It comes as the fmcg giant seeks to adapt to shrinking demand for its traditional packaged snacks, driven by inflation, health trends, and the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss medications. With one in five American households now using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, PepsiCo's US food business' organic sales fell by 2% in the six months to 13 June. PepsiCo's Europe (EMEA) division performed more strongly, however, delivering organic sales growth of 6%. Since hitting shelves in the spring, Poppi has quickly become the market leader in pre and probiotic soda, having racked up £8.5m in retail sales value [NIQ 52 w/e 13 June 2026]. Latest. Partner features. No comments yet. You will be able to: * Read more stories * Receive daily newsletters * Comment on stories

Senior Hershey hires includes new finance and strategic appointments. Posted 8 September, 2026 Dave Hulays has been promoted to the role of chief finance officer at Hershey. Pic: Hershey The Hershey group has revealed further strategic appointments, as Dave Hulays becomes its chief financial officer for the business, reports Neill Barston. He most recently served as senior vice president, finance, and has enjoyed a near three-decade long career in sector leadership, including 15 years spent with the US confectionery giant. He succeeds Steve Voskuil, who has led the company's financial operations for the past seven years, and is set to retire next year. He moves to the post of SVP, Strategic Projects, focused on initiatives for the CEO and Board while ensuring the transition of Hulays into his former post. His arrival in the role comes amid a number of senior hires from the PepsiCo group, including its recently appointed US region president, Heather Hoytink, tasked with assisting the company's wider development in the region. As for Hulyas, the form Proctor & Gamble executive had joined Hershey in 2012 as VP Finance, Canada, and has taken on progressively broader financial leadership responsibilities across the company, including the U.S. and International businesses, Global Supply Chain, the Growth Office, M&A, Corporate FP&A and Finance Strategy, Global Tax & Treasury, and Enterprise Transformation. He commented: "Dave is a proven, enterprise-minded finance leader who has helped shape nearly every corner of this business, from its commercial and supply chain organizations to its growth agenda. "He leads with rigor, accountability and courage. I'm confident he's the right person to lead our finance organization into its next chapter. I also want to thank Steve for his leadership over the past seven years. He has been an incredible partner to me and to this company, and his continued partnership will support some of our most important priorities as we move through this transition." "I'm proud and honored to serve as Hershey's next Chief Financial Officer," said Hulays. "Working alongside Steve over the years has been a privilege, and his mentorship has played an important role in preparing for this transition. Together, we've built a strong foundation, and I'm looking forward to driving our next generation of growth." As the company added, Hulays holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Business Administration from York University's Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada. He and his wife, Angela, live in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with their two sons, Owen and Max.

Mondelēz and PepsiCo pilot digital watermarks to enhance flexible packaging recycling. Date of publication: September 7, 2026 Mondelēz International and PepsiCo, in collaboration with Constantia Flexibles, are testing invisible digital watermarks on flexible food packaging in Belgium as part of the HolyGrail 2030 initiative. This project aims to improve the identification and sorting of flexible packaging for food-grade mechanical recycling. The digital watermarks, which are printed codes on packaging, will help local recycling systems recognize food-contact materials, a significant challenge in the recycling process. Richard Akkermans, European R&D packaging productivity and sustainability manager at Mondelēz, emphasized the initiative's importance in meeting the EU's ambitious recycled content targets outlined in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The sorting trials are managed by Fost Plus, a Belgian recycling company, with sorted plastic packaging waste sent to Germany for analysis. High-resolution cameras from Pellenc ST will read the digital watermarks to enhance sorting accuracy. Philippe Gendebien from Fost Plus noted that Belgium's household collection system provides an ideal environment to test the effectiveness of digital watermarking in improving sorting processes. The trial reflects a broader trend of collaboration among FMCG brands and circular economy initiatives, leveraging smart technology to enhance packaging's role in sustainability. Dietmar Lenko from Constantia Flexibles stated that integrating digital watermark technology into packaging design can facilitate better identification and sorting, even when the packaging is damaged. PepsiCo's Dominika Maruszak-Dankbaar highlighted the complexities of recycling flexible plastic packaging and the necessity for industry-wide collaboration to achieve meaningful progress. The initiative aims to provide insights into real-world recycling challenges, particularly regarding food-contaminated packaging, which complicates mechanical recycling. Liz Morrish from CEFLEX pointed out that addressing food-contact recycled content is crucial for the industry, and this trial represents a significant step toward bridging the gap between current practices and future sustainability targets. As the packaging industry grapples with balancing product protection and environmental responsibility, companies like Pladis are also participating in the digital watermarking initiative. Russell Avens from Pladis underscored the dual need for packaging to maintain product quality while being recyclable and identifiable. Overall, the HolyGrail 2030 project signifies a pivotal movement toward enhancing the recyclability of flexible packaging, addressing both food safety and sustainability concerns in the food packaging sector.