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Low carb Doritos on the way

Frito-Lay says it will debut lower carb version of Doritos and Tostitos nationwide in May.

January 14, 2004: 8:35 AM EST

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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Snack maker Frito-Lay is the latest company to try to reach consumers on low-carbohydrate diets by offering a lower carb version of its Doritos and Tostitos chips.

The company, a unit of PepsiCo (PEP: Research, Estimates), said the new chips will have half the carbohydrates of its traditional chips. They will go under the names Doritos Edge and Tostitos Edge and are now being test marketed in the Phoenix market. They are expected to be in stores nationwide by May.

The company says it is using soy proteins and fiber to reduce the carbohydrates 60 percent. The new chips will have 6 net grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber in a 1-ounce single-serving packet. That compares to 17 grams of carbohydrates and only 1 gram of fiber in the standard Doritos and Tositos 1-ounce package.

Frito-Lay spokesman Charles Nicolas would not speculate on if or when the company would have lower carb versions of other chips.

"These corn chips are two of our leading brands. Our unique cooking process allows us to introduce the soy protein and fiber to the chip," he said.

Frito-Lay's statement said it expects the new version of the chips to generate additional incremental sales. The two chips have annual U.S. sales of $3 billion.