Snacking Gets A Spicy Kick With Two New Tapatio-Flavored Frito-Lay Snacks

Cheetos and Lay's brands partner with popular hot sauce to heat up the snack aisle

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Apr 03, 2013, 07:00 ET

PLANO, Texas, April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With consumers' love of hot sauce showing no signs of slowing, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has once-again partnered with one of the most popular hot sauce varieties available – Tapatio – offering consumers two new ways to enjoy the heat: Lay's TapatioLimon flavored potato chips and Cheetos Tapatio flavored snacks. The two new product offerings join the existing lineup of snacks in the Tapatioand Frito-Lay brand partnership – Ruffles Tapatio Limon flavored potato chips and Doritos Tapatio flavored tortilla chips – and now are available at retail locations in the western and central regions of the U.S.

The hot sauce category continues to experience tremendous growth with sales increasing by approximately 150 percent over the past decade. [1] Both Lay's Tapatio Limon flavored potato chips and Cheetos Tapatio flavored snacks include a unique combination of red chili peppers, spices and a hint of garlic – the same ingredients used to create the original Tapatio hot sauce recipe. Lay's Tapatio Limon flavored potato chips bring that flavor up a notch with the pairing of lime juice for a spicy, tangy twist.

"We know that many of our consumers are already pairing their favorite hot sauce with their favorite Frito-Lay snacks," said Ram Krishnan, vice president, marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "Whether consumers are relaxing at home with Lay's potato chips or hanging out with the family having fun with Cheetos snacks, we're excited to offer two hot new ways to enjoy great snacking."

Tapatio hot sauce was first introduced to consumers in the early 1970s. Founder Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr. began by making batches of hot sauce from his family home and personally delivering bottles of the finished product to local Los Angeles markets. Tapatio is now a staple in homes and restaurants across the U.S.

"Tapatio hot sauce and Frito-Lay have a shared passion for bringing great tasting, high-quality products to our consumers," said Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr., founder, Tapatio Hot Sauce. "This partnership allows us to continue to bring our famous hot sauce to new customers, while providing a fun way for our existing fans to experience their favorite hot sauce flavors."

New Lay's Tapatio Limon flavored potato chips are available in 2.875 oz. bags for $1.49, 7 oz. bags for $2.99 and 9.5 oz. bags for $4.29. New Cheetos Tapatio flavored snacks are available in 1.125 oz. bags for $.50, 3.75 oz. bags for $1.49 and 9.5 oz. bags for $3.49.

About Frito-Lay North America

Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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[1] "Top 10 Fastest-Growing Industries" – IBISWorld, 2012

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America