Walkers changes recipes of Doritos Dippers, Baked, AND Popworks to slash salt, fat and sugar - but devastated fans say they want 'proper crisps' and slam 'terrible' healthy new flavours

• Walkers said it plans to make at least half of its products healthy or low-calorie
• It comes after the firm launched its first crisps that are not considered HFSS
• HFSS is the Government's healthy food standard for high in fat, sugar or salt 
• Its new Walkers HFSS crisps include 'Lightly Salted' and 'Mild Cheese and Onion' 

Walkers has announced plans to introduce low-salt alternatives to its popular crisp brands, as part of a scheme to make at least half of its sales from healthy or low-calorie products by 2025.

In a move that risks upsetting its loyal fanbase, the crisps giant says it will change its Walkers Baked, Doritos Dippers and Popworks products so they are not considered HFSS (high in fat, sugar or salt) by Government standards. 

The company - which like other confectionery firms faces new regulations targeting junk food - says it will also invest £35million over the next three years into healthier product lines.

This will include reformulating some of its existing ranges and bringing new healthier products to supermarket shelves, including reduced salt ranges.

It comes after Walkers, which is owned by US giant PepsiCo, last month launched its first crisps that are not considered HFSS. 

The new Walkers '45 per cent less salt' range includes 'Slightly Salted', 'A Dash of Salt and Vinegar' and 'Mild Cheese and Onion'.

The range comes in smaller portion sizes than the traditional recipe crisps - which Walkers will continue to sell alongside the lower-salt alternatives.

The move comes ahead of new rules coming into force in October that will restrict advertising and promotional deals, such as buy-one-get-one-free, on HFSS classified foods.

But the move by Walkers risks alienating loyal fans of the classic crisps - much like when Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru cut its sugar content by 50 per cent.

The recipe change left Scots rushing to stores to stockpile the full-sugar version before its lower-calorie alternative hit the shelves, while others hit out at the new lower-sugar versions.

And Walkers fans have similarly hit out, with some describing the new low-salt alternatives as 'terrible' and others calling for 'proper crisps'.

One Twitter user wrote: Another wrote: 'Am I the only one that thinks these NEW ‘GREAT TASTE’ lightly salted are terrible. 

'I may as well buy the cheap supermarket ones now instead and save some cash. Rubbish.'  

Others meanwhile pledged not to buy the new low-salt crisps. One person, responding to the announcement of Walkers' health pledge, wrote on Twitter: 'Please don’t bother. Just as I only buy real full sugar Coke, I’m only going to buy proper fried crisps.'

Despite the criticism, Walkers says it will push ahead with the plan and says further innovation is planned for next year.

It will also make significant advertising and marketing investment to encourage customers to make healthier choices.

Jason Richards, general manager of PepsiCo UK & Ireland, said: 'This is a significant milestone in our long-term commitment to provide smart snacking choices, without compromising on taste.

'We've been making changes to our portfolio over many years, but now is the time for even bolder action.

'We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of a 50% sales target for non-HFSS or lower calorie snacks.

'We've got a long way to go from where we are now, but we're determined to make this happen.

'Thanks to our research and development and nutrition experts, I'm confident that people up and down the country will enjoy these new products as much as their old favourites.'

It comes after Walkers unveiled a range of crisps with less salt amid government plans to introduce restrictions on junk food advertising. 

Walkers new flavours - Mild Cheese & Onion, Lightly Salted and A Dash of Salt & Vinegar - contain 45 per cent less salt than the traditional varieties.  

The range is the brand's first to be 'non-HFSS' (high in fat, sugar and salt), meaning it will not be subject to restrictions on HFSS products. 

Last year the government announced that fast food and confectionery giants in Britain will be subject to heavier online restrictions and a 9pm TV watershed on HFSS products from 2023. 

Walkers' rival KP Snacks will soon follow suit, with Tyrrells, Popchips and Hula Hoops Puft set get non-HFSS reformulation, according to The Grocer.   

A 25g packet of Walkers Ready Salted contains 0.34g of salt. The NHS advises adults consume no more than 6g per day. Cheese & Onion contains 0.29g while Salt & Vinegar contains 0.4g.

In contrast the new range of flavours contain between 0.16g-0.17g per 25g bag.

The new low salt options are available across UK supermarkets, 

Walkers explained the low-salt range has been inspired by research that found 79 per cent of people want to eat less salt because it's important to them for their health. 

The brand claims the new range performed strongly in consumer taste testing.

Rachael Smith, Senior Marketing Manager at Walkers, said: 'With lower salt alternatives now reaching over 70 per cent of UK households, we know consumers are always looking for great-tasting options.

'We firmly believe that this choice should never come at the expense of delicious flavour and with our new range, we're on a mission to prove that less salt is unexpectedly tasty. 

'Our latest launch answers the demands of shoppers, whilst helping retailers to capitalise on a growing consumer trend.'

It comes as the Government prepares to bring in new legislation in October to tackle childhood obesity in the UK.   

The Government aims to ban 'buy one, get one free' (BOGOF) deals for unhealthy foods and junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed.

Under the wider strategy announced in July 2020, shops and supermarkets were also required to remove foods high in fats, sugar and salt from prominent places, such as by the checkouts or near entrances.

The anti-obesity strategy is considered a personal crusade for the Prime Minister, who lamented that he was 'too fat' when he was struck down with coronavirus in April 2020. 

Meanwhile, Walkers is the latest brand to go on a health offensive, following other popular confectionery firms, such as  A.G. Barr - the makers of Irn Bru.   

The firm sparked furore in 2017 after cutting the sugar in its famous orange concoction - often described as Scotland's national drink - by 50 per cent.

Just days after the announcement of the move - which was driven by the introduction of a sugar tax in 2018 - people in Scotland began stockpiling to drink.

Ryan Allen, who started the Hands Off Our Irn Bru campaign, said at the time: 'It is a national treasure in Scotland and really is part of our culture with its unique taste, branding and marketing.

'It's also well known to alleviate the effects of a hangover and is many a persons' craving, saviour or go-to drink after a night on the tiles.

'Don't do it Barr – please have a rethink on this.'

While firms like Irn Bru have bowed to Government pressure to change their recipes, soft drink competitor Coca-Cola has refused.

The firm said it would not cut its sugar in its Classic Coke, instead saying it would allow customers to chose themselves between their sugar drinks and low-calorie options.

A spokesperson for the firm, speaking at the time of the introduction of the UK sugar tax in 2018, said: We believe people should still be able to choose a Coca‑Cola Classic if that’s what they want to drink.

'If people want the great taste of Coke without the sugar, we have Diet Coke and Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, neither of which is subject to the Government’s Soft Drinks Tax.'  

Other firms have tried to reduce the size of their products in order to make them lower in sugar.

The chocolate firm Cadbury boasted back in 2019 that it had launched a healthier version of its famous Dairy Milk bar with 30 per cent less sugar.

But the firm, the second biggest confectionery firm after Mars, had reduced its bar size by 22 per cent from 45g for the old regular bar, to 35g.

The new smaller bar still contains around 13g of sugar, compared to 25g in the classic snack.  

Nestle, the Swiss confectionery firm, behind popular brands such as Kit-Kat, Aero and Smarties has attempted a different method to cutting sugar.

The firm announced in 2018 it achieved a world first by  “restructuring” the sugar it uses in its confectionery to produce a white chocolate bar with 30 per cent less sugar than its usual Milkybar brand.  

The special 'restructured' sugar is made by spraying sugar, milk and water into warm air and drying the mixture.

This creates a sugar mix that dissolves faster in the mouth - in the same way as candy floss - creating a quick and more intense burst of flavour, with less sugar content.