If you’re an avid fan of the classic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos but could have used more heat – you’re in luck. Frito-Lay has officially started to roll out a new Cheetos product called Flamin’ Hot Pepper Puffs, the snackmaker’s hottest take on the recipe yet. Featuring the classic puffy Cheetos recipe formed into a pepper shape, the treats are doused in a Flamin’ Hot formula the company claims is it’s hottest ever.
The news of the item first surfaced this February on food-tracking Instagram account @Snacksfromaround. Then, the account suggested the item would be available in the coming months. As it turns out, that meant the first part of June. Effectively immediately, the Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Pepper Puffs are available at Walmart and Circle K stores for a limited time only, for $1.80 (2.375oz. bags) and $3.99 (7oz. bags).
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The release of the item comes at a pretty solid time for Frito-Lay. Just last month, the company announced new studies showed this summer will feature a paradigm shift for snackers, largely in part due to the coronavirus pandemic and new social distancing standards.
“Since the onset of the pandemic – what we eat, where we buy, and how we engage with one another has shifted dramatically – and we’ve had to reorient our business to address this,” Pepsico Foods CEO Steven Williams said in May. “Our ability to remain agile at the most critical time has enabled us to successfully meet consumer demand.”
The same study said upwards of 85 percent of survey respondents said they turn to snacking their favorites in times of stress. “…the overwhelming majority (83 percent) said their favorite summer snacks remind them of good times and nearly half (48 percent) said eating their favorite snack makes them feel happy,” the study says.
