Despite reports that PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay is making a “low-crunch” women’s version of Doritos, the company is saying it's not true.
Time reported that PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi was on WNYC's "Freakanomics" podcast Jan. 31 and said that the company was looking at creating a version of the chips geared toward women.
"When you eat out of a flex bag — one of our single-serve bags — especially as you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don't want to lose that taste of the flavor, and the broken chips in the bottom," Nooyi said, according to a transcript of the episode. "Women would love to do the same, but they don't. They don't like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don't lick their fingers generously and they don't like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavor into their mouth."
When asked if the company was considering a male and female version of the chips, Nooryi said, in part, “It’s not a male and female as much as, ‘Are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?' And yes, we are looking at it, and we’re getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon.”
“For women, low-crunch, the full taste profile, not have so much of the flavor stick on the fingers, and how can you put it in a purse? Because women love to carry a snack in their purse,” she said.
Soundbites and partial quotes from the episode took a life of its own and were met with criticism.
Doritos tweeted a response to the reports Monday.
"The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate," PepsiCo said in a statement Monday. "We already have Doritos for women -- they're called Doritos, and they're enjoyed by millions of people every day. At the same time, we know needs and preferences continue to evolve and we're always looking for new ways to engage and delight our consumers."
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