Do we like them?

Do we like Lay's?

Global potato chip brand made by Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo division; Frito-Lay is based in Plano, Texas, USA.

Our score: 5 out of 10. A very popular snack brand with little sign of serious harm. But its parent has antitrust fines and only company-led green claims, so we'd back it only with mixed feelings.

Lay's is the potato chip brand of Frito-Lay, which belongs to PepsiCo. It's one of the best-known snack names in the world. Our search results only covered the Frito-Lay and PepsiCo side, not the Lay's brand history.

The biggest regulator trouble is competition law. Bloomberg Law reported in 2025 that Turkey's regulator fined the Frito-Lay unit about $36 million and required it to set aside shelf space for rivals in small stores. Greece fined a Frito-Lay unit about €16M in 2012, according to Law360.

On the green side, PepsiCo and CF Industries are offering certified low-carbon fertiliser to US farmers who grow potatoes for Frito-Lay chips. That's a real step, but it's a company-led programme, and we haven't seen independent checks on it.

There's also a 2024 court case brought by ex-PepsiCo executive Richard Montañez over the Flamin' Hot Cheetos origin story. He alleges fraud and discrimination. Those are only allegations, and we haven't seen the outcome. Overall we land in the middle: 5 out of 10.