But PepsiCo—and our whole industry—were also being bombarded with criticism that the sugar, fat, and salt in our products contributed to the scourges of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in the US and, increasingly, the rest of the world. We had acquired Quaker Oats and had started boosting our nutritious offerings. We’d eliminated trans fats. We were adding omega-3s to Tropicana. We’d pulled full-sugar drinks from schools. Yet all this seemed marginal given the scope of our business. PepsiCo was still seen as a junk food company.
