Trimming the Fat: Oscar Mayer Foods Corp....

Trimming the Fat: Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. and Frito-Lay Inc., responding to changes in consumer tastes, will add to their lines of low-fat and fat-free products. Frito-Lay, maker of couch-potato classics such as Chee-tos and Doritos, announced it will spend more than $225 million this year to expand its offerings of low-fat munchies, such as Rold Gold Fat Free Pretzels, Ruffles Reduced Fat Potato Chips and new Baked Tostitos Tortilla Chips. The company recently introduced Baked Lay’s potato chips in two test markets in Iowa, where the low-fat version now accounts for more than 5% of Lay’s chip sales. A nationwide market push is scheduled for year’s end. Oscar Mayer, meanwhile, announced plans to introduce a line of fat-free luncheon meats, including hot dogs and bologna. Oscar Mayer said it will call the product line Oscar Mayer Free. The products will include oven-roasted chicken and turkey breast and smoked turkey breast. The firm said its fat-free meat products will have fewer calories than regular meats.