In December 2024, Lay's Classic Potato Chips were recalled due to the presence of undeclared milk, posing a serious health risk to consumers with dairy allergies, particularly in regions such as Oregon and Washington. This incident highlights a lapse in quality control and supply chain management, potentially affecting vulnerable consumers.

PepsiCo Inc PAC donated a total of $136,387 to federal candidates during the 2023-2024 election cycle, with roughly 48% directed to Democrats and the remainder to Republicans. This highlights corporate political engagement that can influence democratic processes.

Pepsi Beverages, formerly known as Pepsi Bottling Group, settled an EEOC discrimination claim by paying $3.13 million, extending job offers and training to affected African American applicants, and revising its criminal background check policy to prevent racial bias.

The article reports that PepsiCo Inc, the parent company of Lay's, spent $3,980,000 on lobbying during 2023. This expenditure reflects the company’s significant investment in influencing public policy and political decision-making.

Frito-Lay ended a 20-day strike at its Topeka facility by reaching a new labor agreement with union representatives. The contract includes guaranteed days off each week, elimination of squeeze shifts, additional union input on staffing and overtime, and a 4% wage increase for all job classifications over a two-year period.

Frito-Lay workers at a Topeka, Kansas plant are striking over inhumane work conditions, including 84-hour workweeks and forced overtime. The workers are urging consumers to boycott Frito-Lay and PepsiCo products until their demands for fairer working conditions are met. The company has responded by promising a 4% pay increase over two years and a reduction in workweek to 60 hours, measures that striking workers deem insufficient.

Around 600 workers at a Frito-Lay facility in Topeka, Kansas, initiated a strike on 5 July demanding better wages, safer working conditions, and a halt to forced overtime. The workers cited hazardous conditions, stagnant wages, inadequate safety practices, and lack of proper support after major incidents, reflecting systemic labor rights issues within the company.

In July 2021, workers at the Frito-Lay plant in Topeka, Kansas, went on strike to protest long, grueling shifts and inadequate working conditions, demanding fair wages and improved labor practices. The strike lasted nearly three weeks and culminated in a tentative agreement offering a 4% wage increase over two years and one guaranteed day off per week, though many workers viewed the settlement as insufficient.

A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Black employees alleges systemic racial harassment and discrimination at a Frito-Lay plant in Topeka. The suit claims that Black workers were subjected to racial slurs, threatened with lynching by white employees, and faced unequal disciplinary practices, with management failing to take corrective action.

The National Labor Relations Board docket activity for case 13-CA-248810 shows a series of documents—including a denial letter, dismissal letter, and signed charge—indicating ongoing labor dispute proceedings involving PepsiCo. Given that Lay's operates as a subsidiary under PepsiCo, these developments raise concerns about the company’s labor practices and worker rights.

Investors are criticizing PepsiCo's inadequate global political disclosure and pointing to alleged human rights abuses in its Brazilian sugar supply chain. The lack of transparency regarding international political contributions and reports of illegal land grabs and forced removals in Brazil have raised concerns about the company's influence and ethical business practices, impacting its portfolio brand Lay's by association.

The SEC filing of PepsiCo's Worldwide Code of Conduct outlines the company's commitment to ethical business practices, respect for human rights, and a safe, discrimination‑free work environment. As Lay's is a subsidiary of PepsiCo, this document signals a positive stance against authoritarian policies including forced labor and unethical practices, reinforcing progressive labor rights.