Walkers has announced plans to make half of its products 'healthy' or low-calorie within the next three years.

Shoppers may notice some changes to the company's range as it invests £35 million to reform some of its existing crisps and snacks and bring new products to supermarket shelves.

It's aim, says parent company PepsiCo, is for half its snack sales by 2025 to come from products that do not classify as being high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) or to come from food items sold in portions that are 100 calories or less.

Last month the company launched Walkers 45% Less Salt - described as the company's first non-HFSS potato crisp range and one containing almost half the salt included in a regular bag of crisps but still, says the firm, with 'the same great flavour'.

The release of the Less Salt crisps is just the first product in a new range of Walkers snack products that will begin arriving in shop aisles in the coming months.

A number re-formulated non-HFSS are also in production including an entire range of Walkers Baked, Doritos Dippers and Popworks.

And there are also more to come in the future - says PepsiCo - with Walkers experts at its factories in Leicester now developing techniques and processes to reduce saturated fat and salt content in its crisp snacks without impacting flavour and taste.

Jason Richards, general manager of PepsiCo UK and Ireland, said: "This is a significant milestone in our long-term commitment to provide smart snacking choices, without compromising on taste. We’ve been making changes to our portfolio over many years, but now is the time for even bolder action.

"We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of a 50% sales target for non-HFSS or lower calorie snacks. We’ve got a long way to go from where we are now, but we’re determined to make this happen. Thanks to our R&D and nutrition experts, I’m confident that people up and down the country will enjoy these new products as much as their old favourites."

The company's announcement comes ahead of new planned rules coming into force this autumn that will restrict advertising and promotional deals, such as buy-one-get-one-free deals on foods that are classified as HFSS items.

James Stillman, senior research and development director at Pepsico, said: "Throughout years of research and testing, what has always rung true is that people don’t want to sacrifice taste for health. So, for many years, the ultimate challenge for us has been to create healthier snacking options without compromising on taste.

"Our investment in innovation and research over this time has put us at the forefront of taste technology for sodium reduction and our talented team in Leicester is bringing this all together to broaden our range and choice for consumers."