New York, Feb 5 (IANS): Bosses at tortilla chips maker Doritos have revealed they are to launch a new "lady-friendly" version of the snack which are quieter to eat and a lot less messy.

Women's campaigners though have slammed the unusual move as a "tired gender stereotype", media reports said.

"It's not a male and female as much as 'are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?' And yes, we are looking at it, and we're getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon," Global chief executive of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, told the Sun.

The "low crunch" triangular snacks will even come in special packs specifically designed to fit into women's handbags.

Food and drinks giant PepsiCo - which owns Doritos - has claimed research has found women do not like to crunch loudly or lick their fingers when eating in front of others.

Nooyi said: "Although women would love to crunch crisps loudly, lick their fingers and pour crumbs from the bag into their mouth afterwards, they prefer not to do this in public, the Sun reported.

"You watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don't want to lose that taste of the flavour, and the broken chips in the bottom.

"Women would love to do the same, but they don't. They don't like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don't lick their fingers," New York Post Nooyi as saying.

A spokesman from the Women's Equality Party said: "Companies that perpetuate these tired gender stereotypes will continue to lose out on the single biggest consumer group: women.

"No doubt some male consumers will welcome the chance to have a bigger package. But the idea of shrinking products for women, no doubt for the same price, is as old as the Ad Men making these decisions."

However former Conservative lawmaker and celebrity Big Brother runner-up Ann Widdecombe has cautiously welcomed the move.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she said: "I never lick my fingers in public or in private as I think its a ghastly habit.

"I think the idea of crisps for women is a bit daft, although I do think women are generally a bit fussier than men about these things.

"I am a cruncher, but I'm fussy about where I crunch. Bully for them (Doritos), they've introduced polite crisps."