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Kettle vs Lay's Max

On overall TruNorth grade, Lay's Max scores higher (Kettle: C, Lay's Max: C). Both graded from public records across nine values categories.

C
Kettle
51.8/100
C
Lay's Max
55.2/100

Political donations

Kettle

FEC: $138K in executive political donations; partisan lean split across 7 executive donors.

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: FEC: $8K PAC donations; 50% to Republican, 50% to Democratic committees. [CA CalAccess + NY COELIG + TX Ethics adds state-level totals.]

Environment

Kettle

No public record found.

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: environmental violation: $3.6M in federal penalties (Violation Tracker).

Labor

Kettle

Via parent company Campbell Soup: 65 federal penalties totaling $20.1M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: 236 federal penalties totaling $77.9M since 2000 (Violation Tracker). Supply-chain signals: KnowTheChain 60/100; CHRB 14.2/26; TVPRA exposure; UK MS statement; AU MS statement.

DEI

Kettle

No public record found.

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: HRC Corporate Equality Index: 100/100 — Equality 100 Leader (2025). Top-rated LGBTQ+ workplace policies, benefits, and culture. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #33 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating.

Charity

Kettle

$8M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.08% of revenue) via Campbell Soup Foundation.

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: $90M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.10% of revenue) via PepsiCo Foundation. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #33 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Drucker Institute Management Top 250 — ranked #14 (2024) on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. Fortune World's Most Admired Companies — ranked #17 (2024). Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies in America — ranked #4 (2024). Operates the Pepsico Foundation Inc: $38.6M in charitable contributions, gifts & grants paid (FY2023, IRS Form 990-PF).

Animal testing

Kettle

No public record found.

Lay's Max

Via parent company PepsiCo: Ethical Consumer Avoid — palm oil, plastic packaging, water use, animal-rights concerns. [ethical-consumer]

Firearms

Kettle

No public record found.

Lay's Max

No public record found.

Privacy

Kettle

No public record found.

Lay's Max

No public record found.

Executive pay

Kettle

Via parent company Campbell Soup: CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 128:1 (median employee pay $61,506) — SEC proxy statement (DEF 14A, 2025).

Lay's Max

No public record found.

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