The ‘lady-friendly’ crisps with less crunch!

WE’VE had prosecco flavoured crisps and even a gin and tonic version.

Now Doritos is making ‘lady-friendly’ tortilla chips that are quieter to eat, less messy and come in a packet designed to fit in handbags.

The company says women do not like to crunch loudly or lick their fingers in public while eating the snacks – unlike men.

Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, said: ‘They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavour into their mouth.’

She said the company was looking to launch the product ‘soon,’ but it was unclear whether it would be released in the UK. Miss Nooyi added: ‘It’s not [a question of] male and female 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. For women [it’s about] low-crunch, the full taste profile, not having so much of the flavour on the fingers and how can you put it in a purse. Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.’

If the product does hit the shelves in Britain, new laws will enable the Advertising Standards Authority to prohibit the crisps being branded as specifically for women. The concept was met with a mixed reaction last night. The Women’s Equality Party hit out at companies that perpetuate ‘tired gender stereotypes’. ‘The idea of shrinking products for women is as old as the ad men making these decisions,’ said a spokesman. Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe defended the low-crunch version of the triangular corn snacks. Although the concept of lady-friendly crisps was ‘daft’, she said being able to eat them quietly should be celebrated.