April 9/San Diego/Press Release -- PepsiCo, Inc. will provide research funding in 2014 for a salt taste program run by Senomyx Inc. and will have options to extend the funding period under a collaborative agreement announced April 9.

PepsiCo will have non-exclusive rights to salt flavor modifiers discovered during the research period. Senomyx will continue to work to identify flavors with modifying properties intended to restore the desired salty taste in products with reduced sodium. Senomyx will have the right to supply the flavor ingredients directly to PepsiCo.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to establish this new type of research agreement, which provides research funding to Senomyx while retaining our ability to add potential new flavor offerings to our direct sales portfolio,” said John Poyhonen, president and chief executive officer of Senomyx.

Senomyx uses proprietary taste science technologies to discover, develop and commercialize novel flavor ingredients. Senomyx and PepsiCo have worked together on sweeteners. In August 2010, the two companies entered into a collaborative agreement related to Senomyx’s sweet-taste technology.