PepsiCo promises to cut sugar levels in drinks by 2025

US drinks producer PepsiCo will pledge to make a significant reduction in the amount of sugar contained in its products, CEO Indra Nooyi said on Monday.

Concerns regarding the company's sugary beverages' effect on obesity and health problems globally has led to the commitment from Nooyi.

PepsiCo is expected to announce that they will reduce the number of calories in two thirds of its drinks to 100 by 2025. The company and rivals Coca-Cola have come under increasing pressure to make their products more healthy.

"Over the last decade, we have made progress in reducing sugar," Nooyi told CNBC. "But there's a lot more we needed to do because countries which loved sugar were growing faster than countries which were consuming lower-sugar products."

The firm makes over $1bn annually from its flagship Pepsi drink, and now it will plan to refocus its efforts towards zero and low sugar products.

The World Health Organisation have recommended taxes on sugary drinks, following the lead of states such as France and Mexico in an effort to slash obesity rates.

"Technology breakthroughs right now are resulting in better-tasting colas, almost as good as the full-sugar colas, but with lower calories," said Nooyi. "So we're now faced with an interesting opportunity to step the consumer down to lower sweetness levels."

Drinks makers have also faced criticism for their diet drink products, in which many have pointed out the negative health perceptions of artificial sugar.

PepsiCo has made sweeping changes to some of its drinks in recent times, discontinuing the Pepsi Max product and replacing it with Pepsi Zero Sugar.