And now in a first, Kurkure has launched 3 new products under the “Ingredients of India” range made with a special ingredient found in every home, Dal ! Of course, Kurkure has given its signature twist to all 3 products. Using a combination of popular dals & locally relevant flavours from various regions of India, Kurkure has come out with 3 exciting variants – Mumbai Chatpata Usal, Bengali Jhaal & South Spice Mix.

Kurkure Ingredients of India

The three variants were launched today by popular bollywood star and Kurkure brand ambassador, Juhi Chawla. “Kurkure has always been a snack that I have enjoyed eating and being associated with since 2004 as it’s a fun snack brand par excellence that has delighted consumers by focusing on quality & keeping up with changing needs. These three new variants made with different dals are another example of relevant innovation people have come to expect from Kurkure” said Juhi Chawla.

On the occasion Nalin Sood, EVP Marketing – Foods, PepsiCo India, said “Kurkure always been at the forefront of innovation in the snacks category by bringing locally relevant, great tasting & quality products to Indian consumers. We are confident that consumers will enjoy these 3 products made using dals. It will be our endeavor to continue to come up with exciting innovations that continue to delight consumers.”

The three new ingredient based Kurkure will be available in retail outlets available across the country in packs of 23g for Rs 5 (inclusive of all taxes), 50 g for Rs 10(inclusive of all taxes), 120g for Rs. 20(inclusive of all taxes). The launch of the three new variants will be aggressively promoted through a 360 degree marketing campaign .

Additional notes on Kurkure:Kurkure, which was fully developed in India as a great tasting ‘namkeen’ snack, has established a strong connect with consumers across India. It has been at the forefront of product and marketing innovation and has constantly re-invented itself to remain relevant to the Indian ethos and culture. All ingredients used in making Kurkure are trusted kitchen ingredients used daily in all households for preparation of various food items. Cooked in Rice Bran Oil, Kurkure has 40% less Saturated Fat, Zero Trans Fats and No Added MSG.

Not only has Kurkure provided an inimitable taste and superior quality, it has brought fame and joy to many through its ‘Kurkure Chai-time-achievers’ face on pack initiative and ‘Kurkure Spend Time With Your Family’ program. In 2010, Kurkure launched an ingredient innovation with the launch of Kurkure made with Rajma, which was a big hit with consumers.

Media contacts
Ashutosh Sharma
GM, Corporate Communications
PepsiCo India Private Limited
Ashutosh.sharma@pepsico.com
+91 9818763772

Malika
Associate Partner
Tarmac Affairs
malika@tarmacaffairs.com
+91 9899961550

The word KURKURE is now exclusively associated with the PepsiCo and cannot be used by any one, without the express authorization of PepsiCo.

PepsiCo India has also issued a notice to other online properties carrying the movie in question titled KURKURE and/or its images, clips etc as the publication of such images, clips, etc is continuously damaging PepsiCo’s brand equity. It is taking a legal action against its producers and websites not ready to remove the published Kurkure movie from their respective properties.

About PepsiCo:
PepsiCo is one of the leading manufacturers and sellers of beverages and snack products across the world. It is an active interest in India since many years. PepsiCo has two Group companies, PepsiCo (India) Holdings Private Ltd and Pepsi Foods Private Limited through which it conducts its business in India. It sells various branded beverages including Pepsi, 7UP, MIRINDA, etc and branded snack products including LAYS, CHEETOS, etc. They also manufacture, market and sell juices under the brand name TROPICANA and bottled water under the brand AQUAFINA.

About KURKURE:
KURKURE is one of best known snack products in the Indian market and is sold under the brand name/ trade mark KURKURE. The said brand was adopted by PepsiCo in the year 1999 for a snack product specially designed to suit Indian tastes. The status of the brand KURKURE especially in the category of snack products is incomparable. In fact, a recent report in Economic Times described KURKURE as one of PepsiCo’s “Iconice Brands”.

PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said: “PepsiCo’s broad portfolio performed well in the quarter as our operating agility and solid marketplace execution enabled us to deliver strong financial and operational performance. Our macrosnacks business gained share in key markets and we posted solid performance in beverages supported by the benefits of the acquisition of our two largest bottlers, growth in developing markets and improving top-line trends in North America.”

PepsiCo Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said: “We delivered double-digit gains in both revenue and core constant currency operating profit in the quarter, while making incremental strategic investments in China and other key markets. Through rigorous financial discipline we generated $794 million in management operating cash flow, excluding certain items, which was a significant increase from last year. In the second quarter we are stepping up investments in innovation, R&D and infrastructure, all of which should help us accelerate our growth in the second half of the year.”

* Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of constant currency and core. Core results and core constant currency results are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain items. Please refer to “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP information” in the attached exhibits for a description of these items.

Summary of First-Quarter 2010 Performance*

Constant Currency**
——————-
Core** Core**
Division Division
Net Operating Net Operating Operating
% Growth Volume Revenue Profit Revenue Profit Profit
—— ——– ———- ——– ——— ———
PAF 1 2 3 4 2.5 3
FLNA 1 1 9 2 10 10
QFNA (1) (3) (14) (1) (13) (12)
LAF 1 8 (5) 13 (13) (12)

PAB (4) 32 28 32 23 (83)

Europe (4)/(4)*** (3) 4 5 14 16

AMEA 13/10*** 18 12 23 15 17
Total
Divisions 1/(0.5)*** 11 10 13 9 (17)
———- ———- — — — — —
Total PepsiCo (47)*

* The reported operating profit decline was primarily driven by items
excluded from our core results in both 2010 and 2009, including
restructuring costs in 2009, the net impact of mark-to-market
gains on hedges in both years, and in 2010, the currency devaluation
in Venezuela, a foundation contribution and an SAP asset write-off;
and with respect to the bottling acquisitions in 2010, merger and
integration costs and inventory fair value adjustments. Please
refer to the Glossary for the definition of Core.
**The above core results and core constant currency results are non-
GAAP financial measures that exclude merger and integration costs
associated with our acquisitions of The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.
(PBG) and PepsiAmericas, Inc. (PAS), inventory fair value
adjustments recorded in connection with our acquisitions of PBG and
PAS, $9 million of income (recorded in our PAB segment) related to
the currency devaluation in Venezuela, and certain restructuring
actions in 2009. For more information about our core results and
core constant currency results, see “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-
GAAP Information” in the attached exhibits. Please refer to the
Glossary for definitions of “Constant Currency” and “Core”
*** Snacks/Beverage

All references below to net revenue and core operating profit are on a constant currency basis.

First-Quarter Operating Highlights:

Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) expanded operating margins through cost discipline and lower commodity costs. In the second quarter, FLNA is making targeted investments in infrastructure and innovation that are expected to accelerate performance in the second half of the year.

PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB) successfully completed its bottling transactions and held volume share in carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) in the U.S. as top-line trends improved in the North American beverage business.

Asia, Middle East, Africa (AMEA) posted strong growth in key developing markets such as India and China, where both snacks and beverages posted double-digit volume growth.

Division Operating Summary

PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF) continued to deliver consistent performance as it overlapped double-digit gains in net revenue and core operating profit in the first quarter of 2009.

FLNA gained volume share, expanded margins and delivered strong core
operating profit growth of 9 percent. Increased margins were
driven by both cost discipline and lower input costs as the
division took minimal pricing in the quarter. FLNA grew net
revenue 1 percent as it overlapped strong growth in the year-ago
period due to pricing actions to offset commodity inflation.
Volume also grew 1 percent, reflecting strong performance in
trademark Lay’s and variety packs, both of which grew volume share
in their respective sub-categories. Outside the snack aisle,
Stacy’s Pita Chips and Sabra dips continued to drive strong growth.
In the quarter, FLNA introduced innovative, better-for-you
snacking options for consumers, including all-natural versions of
Lay’s potato chips and lightly salted versions of Fritos corn chips
and Ruffles potato chips.
Quaker Foods North America (QFNA) volume was down 1 percent, net
revenue was down 3 percent and core operating profit was down 14
percent, driven almost entirely by the overlap of an insurance
settlement.
Latin America Foods (LAF) volume grew 1 percent and net revenue was
up 8 percent in the first quarter. Core operating profit declined
5 percent as LAF lapped nearly 30 percent core operating profit
growth in the first quarter of last year. LAF is currently making
investments in both value and infrastructure which are expected to
benefit operating results in the second half of this year.

PAB posted a 32 percent increase in net revenue and a 28 percent increase in core operating profit, driven by the favorable impact of the acquisitions, a focus on profitable volume and ongoing productivity enhancements.

North America Beverages maintained volume share leadership in measured channels and showed improved CSD volume trends driven by Pepsi Refresh, Throwback versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew and our Super Bowl value promotions.

In the hydration segment, SoBe Lifewater continues to perform well, gaining both volume and value share. In the second quarter, Gatorade has begun to roll out its G Series, which provides benefits to athletes before, during and after their sports activities.

PepsiCo Europe net revenue declined 3 percent and core operating profit grew 4 percent, reflecting disciplined financial management and a continued focus on productivity. Performance in Europe reflected a challenging macroeconomic environment across the region, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Europe snacks volume was down 4 percent in the quarter, reflecting poor weather in Western Europe and particularly challenging macroeconomic conditions in Eastern Europe. In the U.K., double-digit growth in the Quaker portfolio of healthy snacks was more than offset by declines at Walkers as they overlapped the successful Do Us a Flavour promotion. In the second quarter, Europe will drive innovation in its healthy snacks portfolio through the expansion of Baked Lays in Western Europe and its nuts platform in Spain and Portugal.

Europe beverage volume declined 4 percent, reflecting category weakness. Europe’s CSD portfolio performed well in key markets, growing value share in Russia, the U.K., Turkey and Germany. In the second quarter, Europe will launch Mountain Dew in the U.K. and deliver differentiated value across brands and countries through price/pack architecture initiatives and a strong promotional calendar.

AMEA drove strong top-line growth across both snacks and beverages, reflecting volume momentum in China and India due to improving demand and strong marketplace execution. AMEA net revenue increased 18 percent and core operating profit grew 12 percent, reflecting strategic investments in China. Acquisitions impacted net revenue growth favorably by 1 percentage point and adversely impacted core operating profit growth by 2 percentage points.

AMEA snacks volume grew 13 percent, reflecting broad-based increases driven by double-digit growth in China and India. In India, Kurkure grew double digits as the division built on the success of this product by launching a new flavor in the quarter. Growth in China reflects powerful market execution of Chinese New Year promotions. Acquisitions contributed almost 3 percentage points to volume growth.

AMEA beverage volume increased 10 percent year over year, including double-digit volume expansion in India and China. AMEA continued to drive locally relevant innovation in the quarter, launching several new products, including blueberry-flavored Guo Bin Fen and expanding distribution of Tropicana Pulp Sacs in China.

Tax Rate

PepsiCo’s reported tax rate was a benefit of 2 percent for the first quarter, primarily reflecting the impact of the bottling transactions, which includes the reversal of deferred taxes attributable to the previously held equity interests in the acquired bottlers. This is a change of 27 percentage points compared to the prior year. The resolution of certain tax matters contributed about 1 percentage point to the decline in the reported tax rate compared to the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of items affecting comparability, PepsiCo’s core tax rate was 23 percent for the first quarter. The company expects its full-year reported tax rate to be roughly 23 to 24 percent, which reflects a benefit of about 4 percentage points from items affecting comparability, primarily due to the impact of the bottling transactions, as noted above.

Cash Flow

Cash flow from operating activities was $241 million. Management operating cash flow, net of capital expenditures, was a use of $17 million, including a discretionary $600 million contribution to PepsiCo’s pension funds, a $100 million donation to The PepsiCo Foundation, Inc. (the Foundation), $85 million of merger and integration payments associated with our bottling acquisitions, and $26 million related to 2009 restructuring charges. Management operating cash flow, excluding these items, was $794 million.

For the year, the company expects cash flow from operating activities to be about $8.3 billion and management operating cash flow, net of capital expenditures, to be about $4.7 billion, including: the discretionary $600 million contribution to PepsiCo’s pension funds, about $400 million of merger and integration payments associated with our bottling acquisitions, the $100 million donation to the Foundation, $26 million related to 2009 restructuring charges, about $200 million in capital investments related to the bottler integration, and about $350 million of cash tax benefits related to these items. Management operating cash flow, excluding these items, is expected to be approximately $5.6 billion. The company expects to invest about $3.6 billion in net capital spending in 2010.

Guidance

For fiscal 2010, the company is targeting an 11 to 13 percent growth rate for core constant currency EPS off of its fiscal 2009 core EPS of $3.71, with about 6 percent growth in core constant currency EPS in the first half of the year, which includes a charge of approximately $40 million related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – which was signed into law in the second quarter of 2010 — and mid-teens core constant currency EPS growth in the second half of the year. Based on current spot rates, foreign exchange translation would represent a one percentage point unfavorable impact on the company’s full-year, core constant currency EPS.

Synergies
The company is targeting pre-tax annualized synergies from the
bottling acquisitions of approximately $400 million once fully
implemented by 2012, and now expects one-time costs of
approximately $650 million to achieve these synergies. Of the
approximate $650 million in costs, roughly $225 million is non-
cash and represents the impact of the consolidation and
rationalization of certain manufacturing assets. Synergies to be
realized in 2010 are expected to total approximately $125-$150
million.

Share Repurchase
In the first quarter, the company repurchased $940 million in common
stock (of which $205 million was paid in the second quarter), or 14
million shares. The company anticipates that share repurchases
will total approximately $4.4 billion in 2010.

Impact of Venezuelan Devaluation
As of the beginning of the company’s 2010 fiscal year, Venezuela is
accounted for under hyperinflationary accounting rules, and the
functional currency of our Venezuelan entities has changed from the
Bolivar to the U.S. dollar. Effective January 11, 2010, the
Venezuelan government devalued the Bolivar by resetting the
official exchange rate from 2.15 Bolivars per dollar to 4.3 Bolivar
per dollar, with certain activities permitted to access an exchange
rate of 2.6 Bolivars per dollar.

In 2010, the company expects that the majority of its Venezuelan
foreign exchange transactions will be remeasured at the 4.3
exchange rate. As a result of the change to hyperinflationary
accounting and the devaluation of the Bolivar, the company recorded
a one-time net charge in the first quarter of 2010 of $120
million.

Src: www.marketwatch.com

Rajeev Kumar, VP, Operations, PepsiCo India said, “The plant produces enough biogas for two processing lines. We have stopped using LPG on those two lines, where we produce Kurkure, out of the seven lines. The plant produces 2200 million cubic meters of gas a day, substitute 200 tonnes of LPG annually.”

It also reduces our carbon emissions by 600 tons annually, Mr Kumar said. The Pune plant is the first one across Frito-Lay’s global operations to use biogas, according to The Economic Times. The Pune manufacturing unit produces the entire range of Frito-Lay’s snacking products Lays, Kurkure, Cheetos, Uncle Chips and the recently launched biscuit brand Aliva.

The unit also generates 10-12 tons of bio-degradable waste daily, comprising potato peels, extra burnt chips, green potatoes, etc, which was earlier disposed off as waste and will now be used in the biogas plant. Installed at an investment of Rs 3.5 crore, the plant will save the company its annual expenditure of Rs 1.5 crore on waste disposal.

Src: TheBioenergySite News Desk

Pepsico’s snacks brands like Uncle Chipps and Kurkure enjoy an appreciable market share in India. However, the company has not been able to dip into the country’s enormous namkeen market.

The Pepsico India chairman, Sanjeev Chadha, has told the media that the company has planned to placate the Indian palate with innovative products that use ingredients indigenous to the country.

Further, it has been reported that Chadha believes there were plenty of opportunities for the company in India’s juices and drinks category.

As for the namkeen plan, the project to establish Pepsico’s fourth snacks plant, at an estimated cost of around USD 50 million, is already underway.

At present, however, it is not known what namken products the company plans to introduce to India.

Src: adgully.com

Firstly, if Kurkure really contained plastic would it even be edible. Kurkure as a brand has been in the Indian market for years now. Then how can Kurkure suddenly start containing plastic. The Kurkure plastic rumor was just so fake and baseless but still people believed in it.

Kurkure is a new age namkeen snack. Kurkure is made from edible ingredients including rice meal, corn meal, gram meal, salt, spices, seasonings, edible oil, and condiments and flavors (some or all in variants of Kurkure). Kurkure is cooked in Rice Bran oil, it is one of the healthier oils available for cooking. By cooking Frito Lay range of products in RICE BRAN oil, the saturated fat has been reduced by 40%. Saturates are the ones to watch out for, because too much saturated fat can contribute to increased blood cholesterol levels.

All the ingredients used to manufacture Kurkure are used by most of the Indian families in their daily kitchen. This only means that Kurkure is not bad for health and is completely safe for consumption.

Src: http://kurkure.co.in/FAQ.aspx

The product is being test-marketed in Gujarat and is expected to be rolled out nationally in two months. Priced at Rs 5 a packet, the snack is targeted at teenagers and children.

The branded snacks segment has recently seen a surge in activity with the high-decibel entry of ITC’s Bingo, which has quickly grabbed 15 to 16 per cent share of the Rs 2,000 crore market from leader Frito Lay.

Src: Potatopro.com

Kurkure, one of India’s most loved snack food brands, today announced the launch of its new region specific flavour, made using rice and corn, for consumers in the South market – the ‘South Special’. The new local flavour for the South Indian market has been developed by Kurkure based on in-depth consumer research. For Kurkure lovers across the region, their very own tedha shaped snack will offer them a wider variety to choose from!

Title: Simran, Brand Ambassador for Kurkure in the South

Launched in the city by Kurkure’s brand ambassador and popular South Indian actress – Simran, the ‘South Special’ flavour for South India has special spices with a dash of curry leaves designed to tingle the taste buds of consumers. Another reason for consumers to snack away while savouring the delightful taste of authentic South Indian spices!

Savouring the delicious ‘South Special’ flavour, Kurkure brand ambassador Simran said, “Kurkure has always been my favourite as I can Snack smart with Kurkure which is made using rice, corn and cooked in healthier rice bran oil. To find a new localized ‘South Special’ Kurkure flavour is a delight and I am already a fan of it. I hope consumers like it too.”

According to Mr. Vidur Vyas, Executive Vice President – Marketing, FritoLay India, “Kurkure is an established leader in the Indian snack market and it has always been our endeavor to consistently take consumer insights and base our product innovation on the same. We believe that ‘South Special’ embodies the connect Kurkure has with its consumers in this market and celebrates the local cuisine & taste. Kurkure made using rice, corn and special spices with a dash of curry, reiterates our endeavor to give consumers the option to SnackSmart™ while retaining 100% great taste.”

Made using rice, corn and gram blended with a variety of spices and flavors, consumers can SnackSmart™ and enjoy the great taste of Kurkure products, cooked in healthier rice bran oil with 40% less saturated fats, zero trans fats and no added msg. All these value additions increase the ratio of the good fats and reduce the saturated fat by 40%.

Frito Lay India, PepsiCo India’s foods division, also announced the launch of two more flavours for the West and the East of India with ‘Mumbai Chatpata’ and ‘East Parar Tok Jhal’ respectively. The ‘Mumbai Chatpata’ captures the delectable and addictive mild spicy flavour mixed with pepper and fennel and the ‘East Parar Tok Jhal’ brings out a tangy taste of mustard and a mouth watering mix of spices and chilli.

Kurkure has once again lived up to the expectations of its consumers by bringing in a burst of exciting flavours for the family. The three regional product offerings celebrate India’s diversity and culture by combining authentic and intense spices and creating a delicious twist of flavored variations.

The new flavour derives itself from spices that put Indian food on a pedestal and as the name suggests, it celebrates the local cuisine & taste of the region! For Kurkure lovers, their very own tedha shaped snack will offer them a wider variety to choose from!