Earlier this week, the world laughed and laughed when it was reported that PepsiCo was developing “snacks for women” – namely, Doritos. These reports were based on actual observations PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi had made about women on the podcast Freakonomics, including “they don’t like to crunch too loudly in public”, and “women love to carry a snack in their purse”.

When asked if PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, was planning on making “a male and female version of chips”, Nooyi replied: “It’s not a male and female [version] as much as, ‘Are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?’ And yes, we are looking at it, and we’re getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon.”

Now, however, PepsiCo has released a statement insisting that they were never planning on making snacks for women, and everyone had simply misinterpreted Nooyi’s comments.

“The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate,” the company said. “We already have Doritos for women – they’re called Doritos, and they’re enjoyed by millions of people every day.

“At the same time, we know needs and preferences continue to evolve, and we’re always looking for new ways to engage and delight our consumers.”

Hmm. The New York Times has more on this bizarre story here.

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Women’s Daily Dispatch: the news you need to know on 7/2/18