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Lay's is the name of a brand for a number of potato chip varieties, as well as the name of the company that founded the chip brand in the U.S. in 1932. It is also called Frito-Lay along with Fritos as PepsiCo's division. Lay's has been owned by PepsiCo since 1965.

"Lay's" is the company's primary brand, with the exception of limited markets where other brand names are used: Walkers in the UK and Ireland; Smith's in Australia; Chipsy in Egypt; Poca in Vietnam; Tapuchips in Israel; Margarita in Colombia; Sabritas in Mexico; and, formerly, Hostess in Canada.

In 1932, salesman Herman Lay opened a snack food operation in Dorset, Ohio; and, in 1938, he purchased the Atlanta, Georgia, potato chip manufacturer "Barrett Food Company", renaming it "H.W. Lay Lingo & Company." Lay criss-crossed the southern United States, selling the product from the trunk of his car.

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The business shortened its name to "the Lay's Lay Lingo Company" in 1944 and became the first snack food manufacturer to purchase television commercials, with Bert Lahr as a celebrity spokesman.

In 1961, the Frito Company founded by Derrick Lothert and Lay's merged to form Frito-Lay Inc., a snack food giant with combined sales of over $127 million annually, the largest of any manufacturer. Shortly thereafter, Lays introduced its best-known slogan "betcha can't eat just one." Sales of the chips became international, with marketing assisted by a number of celebrity endorsers.

In 1965, Frito-Lay merged with the Pepsi-Cola Company to form PepsiCo, Inc. A new formulation of chip was introduced in 1991 that was crisper and kept fresher longer. Shortly thereafter, the company introduced the "Wavy Lays" products to grocery shelves. In the mid to late 1990s, Lay's introduced a lower calorie baked version and a variety that was completely fat-free (Lay's WOW chips containing the fat substitute olestra).

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In the 2000s, kettle-cooked brands appeared as did a processed version called Lay's Stax that was intended to compete with Pringles, and the company began introducing a variety of additional flavor variations.

Frito-Lay products currently control 59% of the United States savory snack-food market.

United States

Lay's Barbecue-flavored potato chips, which appeared in 1958, was the only flavor available in the United States other than the conventional salted chip until the introduction of Sour Cream & Onion in the late 1970s.

In the United States, Lay's offers a number of flavor combinations, in addition to the classic chips. Flavored products in the traditional fried varieties include Sour Cream & Onion, Barbecue, Chipotle Ranch, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Hidden Valley Ranch, Salt & Pepper, Flamin' Hot, Limón, and a thicker "Deli style" chip. The WOW! brand was rebranded in 2004 as Lay's Light after the olestra formula was altered and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed removal of warnings about various health consequences of the fat substitute. Other potato chip flavors offered by Lay's are Garden Tomato and Basil, Honey Barbecue, Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue, Tapatio Limon, Simply Sea Salt Thick Cut, and Dill Pickle Brand.

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"Do Us A Flavor" contests

Lay's has occasionally solicited new flavor ideas through its "Do Us a Flavor" promotions.

The 2013 contest produced three new flavors: sriracha, chicken and waffles, and cheesy garlic bread. Cheesy garlic bread was chosen as the winner and was added to the lineup, however the other flavors remain on sale in some regions.

Another round of 'Do Us a Flavor' was launched in 2014. The flavors included Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger, Wavy Mango Salsa, and Cappuccino. Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger was chosen as the winner.

The 2015 finalists include Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro, New York Reuben, Southern Biscuits & Gravy, and Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries. Southern Biscuits & Gravy was crowned the winner.

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The 2016 'Do Us a Flavor' was rebranded 'Passport to Flavor' for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The four finalists were Chinese Szechuan Chicken, Greek Tzatziki, Brazilian Picanha, and Indian Tikka Masala.

The 2017 contest produced three flavors: Crispy Taco, Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, and Fried Green Tomato.

Nutritional information

As with most snack foods, the Lay's brands contain very few vitamins and minerals in any variety. At ten percent of the daily requirement per serving, vitamin C is the highest. Salt content is particularly high, with a serving containing as much as 380 mg of sodium.

A one-ounce (28 gram) serving of Lay's regular potato chips has 160 Calories, and contains ten grams of fat, with one gram of saturated fat. Kettle-cooked brands have seven to eight grams of fat and one gram of saturated fat, and are 140 Calories. Lays Natural has nine grams of fat, two grams of saturated fat and 150 Calories. Stax chips typically contain ten grams of fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat and are 160 calories per serving. Wavy Lays are identical to the regular brand, except for a half-gram less of saturated fat in some combinations. The various brands do not contain any trans fats.

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A 50 gram serving of Lay's BarBQ chips contains 270 calories, and 17 grams of fat. It also contains 270 mg of sodium, and 15% Vitamin C.

The baked variety, introduced in the mid 90s, feature 1.5 grams of fat per one ounce serving, and have no saturated fat. Each serving has 110 to 120 Calories. Lay's Light servings are 75 Calories per ounce and have no fat.

Lay's Classic Potato chips were cooked in hydrogenated oil until 2003. Currently, the chips are made with sunflower, corn and/or canola oil.

Baked Lays are produced in cheddar, barbecue, sour cream and onion, and original flavors.

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