CI Webinar Series: Antonio Tataranni, MD, Global Chief Medical Officer of PepsiCo

The Opportunity of a Lifetime: How Cutting-edge Science and Technology Can Improve the Wellbeing of Food

Antonio Tataranni, MD

Global Chief Medical Officer of PepsiCo

Antonio Tataranni, MD is currently the global Chief Medical Officer of PepsiCo. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tataranni oversees all aspects of the company's efforts to protect its global workforce, products and communities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also leads PepsiCo's Life Sciences strategy and the R&D Fellows Program as its Executive Sponsor. Dr. Tataranni joined PepsiCo in September, 2018 as the Senior Vice President of R&D Life Sciences, responsible for leading the development and execution of a nutrition and bio-sciences strategy in support of the company’s portfolio transformation and Winning with Purpose agenda. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Dr. Tataranni was a senior executive at Sanofi and a senior scientist at the NIH.

Abstract

Since the first “food pyramid” was introduced in Sweden in 1974—and subsequently adopted and communicated persistently by governments and public health officials worldwide—people in developed countries have been confronted daily with a dilemma: Do I reach for the most nutritious food or beverage option … or the most pleasurable option? Nearly five decades on, the rates of overnutrition remain unacceptably high. At the same time, in the developing world, despite decades’ worth of agricultural, sociopolitical and economic progress, rates of undernutrition also remain unacceptably high. In his talk, Dr. Antonio Tataranni, PepsiCo’s Chief Medical Officer, will discuss the company’s determination to create more products that deliver both enhanced nutrition and pleasure, and make them available to more people in more places. While foods and beverages are only one of many factors that influence an individual’s overall health, advances in A.I., digitization and other recent breakthroughs have the potential to enable, accelerate and democratize production of an array of products designed to improve wellbeing. PepsiCo, with its deep technical expertise in food manufacturing, and ability to rapidly scale innovation globally, is well positioned to make a positive impact. But there will be obstacles to acknowledge and overcome on that journey: next-generation foods and beverages must be accessible, affordable and acceptable to consumers. Accordingly, F&B companies, regulators, academics, public health officials and others need to reckon hon-estly with what has and has not worked in the past, and be open to exploring new partnerships and ways of working moving forward.

Chair: Laurette Dubé (Scientific Director of MCCHE)
Co-Chair & Moderator: John G. Keogh (Managing Principal, Shantalla Inc. Toronto )
Special Panel: Going beyond what has been possible thus far in nutrition for all through human-centred and digital-powered convergence economy approach: pulses and produces as entry point