Walkers is making its first foray into the wholegrain arena with the launch of Sunbites crisps.
Made with 67% wholegrains - which, at 16g, is more than a third of the suggested daily intake in every bag - the newcomer marks another move in Walkers' efforts to boost its health credentials.
Sunbites contain whole wheat, oats and corn, and have 30% less fat than regular crisps. They also have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
The average British consumer eats about 23g of wholegrains every day, with up to 30% of consumers eating none at all.
"Sunbites offer a small step towards getting more wholegrain and we believe that small steps can make a lot of difference," said Jon Goldstone, vice president of marketing. "Consumer tests have already proved that this wholegrain snack will have broad appeal and be highly incremental to the category," he added.
Rolling out later this month, Sunbites come in original; sour cream & cracked black pepper; and oven roasted onion & rosemary flavours, and will be available in multipacks of 6x25g with an rsp of £1.38, and standard 28g packs with an rsp of 41p.
The launch will be supported by a £3m media campaign and a door-drop campaign, with one in four target consumers receiving a free sample, according to the company. Goldstone described it as "the most significant launch of the year" in the category.
The move comes as Walkers continues to reposition its ranges to make them healthier. So far it has slashed fat and salt levels on all its bestselling lines, switched to Sunseed oil and introduced ranges such as Potato Heads and Baked ranges.
According to TNS Worldpanel research, Walkers is the third-most successful brand in Britain and has added 5% to sales by reducing levels of saturated fat and introducing baked crisps.
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