PepsiCo is to spend billions of dollars to develop drinks and snacks and reformulate existing ones with lower sugar, salt and fat, as consumers demand healthier options and regulatory pressure intensifies amid an obesity epidemic（流行病）.

    The maker of Mountain Dew and Gatorade has been one of the earlier movers in the industry to offer products with reduced levels of unhealthy ingredients—PepsiCo claims a packet of its chips now contains less salt than a slice of white bread. However, its new 10-year plan makes clear it believes it still has a long way to go.

Shifting eating habits, including a sharp drop in consumption of sparkling drinks, have forced radical change on the industry. But those shifts have yet to be reflected in record obesity levels, which stand at 36.5% overall in the US.

    Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman, said the plan to make its products healthier was important for the company’s growth. But on the subject of obesity, she pointed out that consumers’ lifestyles have changed significantly, with many people being more sedentary（久坐不动的）not least because more time is spent in front of computers. She said PepsiCo’s contribution was to produce healthier snacks that still tasted good.

    “Society has to change its habits,” she added. “We can’t do much to alter sedentary lifestyles, but we can provide consumers with great-tasting products, low in salt, sugar and fat. In the past we had to have a taste trade-off. But we’re breaking that trade-off.”

    PepsiCo’s plan for its foods and drinks is based on guidelines from the World Health Organization, which last week backed using taxes on sparkling drinks to reduce sugar consumption. Initiatives also include efforts to reduce its environmental impact, water consumption and materials used in packaging by 2025.

    PepsiCo did not say exactly how much it planned to invest to reach its goals. However, Dr. Mehmood Khan, chief scientific officer, said the company had doubled research and development spending in the past five years and was “committed to sustaining investment”, adding that companies cannot cost-cut their way to increasing sales. PepsiCo’s research and development budget in 2015 was $754 million.

解析：B。根据PepsiCo和achieve its objective可定位至文章最后一段。文章最后一段第二句指出，公司在过去五年里的研发支出翻了一番，并“致力于保持投资”。由此可知B项符合题意。B项中的Increasing its research funding对应文章中的had doubled research and development spending。文章倒数第二段指出百事可乐的食品和饮料计划是根据世界卫生组织的指导方针制定的，与百事公司达成目标所做的努力无关，故排除。文章未提及扩大海外市场，故排除C项。文章最后一句指出公司不能通过削减成本来增加销售额，D项与此相悖，故排除。