A group of PepsiCo scientists and agronomists from around the world invested in and worked on developing Lay’s potatoes, which are designed to be more oval, have a greater starch content, and require less water.

The tuber is also chosen to need fewer natural resources, less agricultural inputs, and more disease resistance. The cultivars’ shorter production cycles and increased resistance to storage and mechanization are other considerations in their development.

“We developed all of this and we also seek to have plants with higher productivity, currently yielding a harvest of around 32.5 tons per hectare,” Natália de Oliveira, agribusiness manager and person responsible for the seed chain at PepsiCo Brazil, mentioned.

The ‘seed potato’ is a term that refers to potatoes that are used for planting and producing new potato plants. They are selected to ensure the quality and success of the crop.

“PepsiCo’s strategy is to use its potato varieties to produce Lay’s, Ruffles, and Elma Chips potato chips, which are called FritoLay and developed and patented by the company. Frito-Lay potatoes have attributes that will give the chips more flavor and less bitterness, as well as more crunchiness, a lighter color when fried, and the ability to maintain freshness for longer. We also seek to cultivate crops that use fewer agricultural inputs, aiming for more sustainable production, with greater safety for rural workers and better quality for our consumers,” de Oliveira added.

The Development of the Dream Potato

The process of selecting the best PepsiCo seed potatoes begins at the PepsiCo Research Center in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, in the U.S.

“At this stage, the behavior of the plants during cultivation is observed and those that present the best agronomic and industrial characteristics are selected, that is, they are healthier, have better productivity, adapt to the climate of the region where they will be planted and are resistant to pests,” the agronomist explained.

This classic selection process takes an average of seven years and, from then on, all the other stages are carried out in Brazil.

Upon arrival in the country, after a preventive quarantine period, the seedlings – as the seed potato seedlings are called – are multiplied in a laboratory, leaving a matrix stored in the company’s Germplasm Bank, in Minas Gerais.

The following are also carried out on site: The multiplication of seedlings; Greenhouse cultivation for the production of mini tubers (seed potatoes); Harvesting and sending these mini tubers to potato producers; and Planting for large-scale field multiplication.

Quality From Field to Package

Four PepsiCo partner producers currently grow potato seeds, while one partner just grows seeds. For seed growers, the company provides technical visits, gatherings to share expertise, and assistance in implementing new technology. Rather than selling seed potatoes, PepsiCo supplies proprietary plants for seed farmers to propagate and regularly visits to check this production.

“The advantage for the company is that it receives better quality potatoes from rural producers, while it is more advantageous for them to work with a more productive variety. For seed growers, sales are guaranteed, since they only produce the number of seed potatoes ordered,” Natália de Oliveira also mentioned.

In the Brazilian market, PepsiCo and its brands have been cemented by the business strategy, and Ruffles are currently the most popular potato chip there.

Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Goiás are the six states in which the company now has 25 partner potato producers. This implies that potatoes can be gathered for snack manufacture almost daily and that production can take place at various periods of the year. In addition, soil sensors, drones, and real-time production monitoring software, such as field diaries, are used to map the entire potato production chain.

Additionally, PepsiCo has partnered with four farmers who provide their fields as a venue for showcasing best practices. Agronomic experiments are conducted at these sites in collaboration with universities and research institutes.

Furthermore, PepsiCo hosts events annually, including Field Day and Demo Farms, that bring together experts, input and technology suppliers, potato producers, and the company’s technical team to share knowledge and experience around a shared objective: to grow and produce the best potato chips possible using more environmentally friendly and efficient practices.

The seed potatoes go through a three-year field testing process in Brazil following the development of a new PepsiCo Frito-Lay potato type. They are only authorized for use in agricultural produce following consumer testing and industry validation. PepsiCo now provides Brazilian seedbeds with five distinct potato types. Additionally, the public domain variety Atlantic is still grown by its partner farmers.