PepsiCo to Develop Natural Sweeteners

PepsiCo will jointly develop strong-tasting natural sweeteners with US biotechnology firm Senomyx.

The company is also planning to produce other ingredients to increase the sweetness of beverages.

Under the four-year agreement, Senomyx will receive an upfront payment of $30m from PepsiCo, including $7.5m paid to start the talks.

The sweeteners will allow PepsiCo to use less high-fructose corn syrup or sugar, the company said.

PepsiCo is considering reducing sugar in key products by 25% over the next ten years.