Flamin' Hot Cheetos are some of the most iconic snacks of all time, but like so many great foods, they have a fascinating history that might surprise you. Regardless of their origin, the spicy snacks have become a cultural sensation, as there have even been restaurants and fashion trends based around them. However, there is a downside to Flamin' Hot Cheetos, as one rapper claims he was hospitalized for eating too many of them, and some schools have banned them, due to their allegedly addictive nature. Let's take a look at what you should know before eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos again.
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00:00What's the real story behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos, the spicy snack food that's taking over America?
00:06How did they come to be, and why are they so popular?
00:08The true story behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos might surprise you.
00:12Flamin' Hot Cheetos were the brainchild of Richard Montanez, and unlike most snack food
00:16creators, he was no lab coat-wearing food scientist.
00:20He was a janitor at Frito-Lay Plant, but was also interested in how the business was run,
00:25especially after a company-wide message from the CEO encouraging each employee to act
00:30like an owner of the company to feel personally invested in its success.
00:34That inspired Montanez to think outside the box.
00:37One day, the machine that made Cheetos accidentally spit out a batch that was totally unseasoned.
00:43Montanez took them home and did some experimentation.
00:46He had noticed that Cheetos didn't have any spicy flavors, so he seasoned the plain corn
00:50puffs he had gotten with spices and chili powder.
00:53He then boldly called the CEO of the company, who was so impressed by Montanez's initiative
00:58that he set up a meeting for him to present his invention.
01:00The CEO was sold, and within six months, Flamin' Hot Cheetos were being tested.
01:05In 1992, they were released nationally.
01:07The snack became legendary, and these days, Montanez is the VP of Multicultural Sales
01:13for PepsiCo, the parent company of Frito-Lay.
01:16Not only was Montanez a janitor, but he was also a high school dropout.
01:20Growing up, he found it difficult to understand his teachers at school, English wasn't his
01:24first language, and he didn't have an easy time learning it.
01:27As a result, he decided to drop out of high school and soon after entered the workforce.
01:31Aspirations weren't very high in his small community outside of Ontario, California.
01:36Most of his peers only hoped to grow up and work in the town's factory, which is exactly
01:40where he ended up.
01:41Montanez had different dreams for himself, though.
01:43He wanted to drive a garbage truck.
01:45That wasn't meant to be, of course, but the janitor job he ended up with took him farther
01:49than any trash truck could have.
01:51Today, Montanez helps provide college scholarships for young Latinos.
01:54He explained to Fox News Latino,
01:56"...Latinos who have made it like myself have a responsibility to open doors to younger
02:00generations and teach them that they can do it."
02:03Richard Montanez knew he had a great idea in his hands when he realized that in the
02:06snack aisle of his local convenience store, there weren't any products marketed to the
02:11Latino people who frequented it.
02:13Montanez, the son of Mexican immigrants, suddenly found inspiration.
02:16When Montanez was enjoying some elotes, he decided the combination of cheese and chili
02:21powder would also taste great on Cheetos.
02:24Montanez said that at the time,
02:25"...nobody had given any thought to the Latino market, but everywhere I looked I saw it ready
02:29to explode."
02:31The product went on to be a huge success.
02:33Montanez moved his way up the ranks at PepsiCo.
02:35Not only has he worked with PepsiCo brands including KFC and Taco Bell to help them
02:39market to consumers in the Latin community, but he also does community outreach and works
02:43to help students of Latin American heritage go to college.
02:46"...some of you sometimes are waiting for somebody to say, I give you permission to
02:49be great.
02:50If you're waiting for that day, well guess what, I'm giving you permission to be great."
02:55The story of how Richard Montanez invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos is pretty cinematic.
02:59A janitor who couldn't read inventing a multi-million dollar product and going on to become a vice
03:03president at PepsiCo?
03:05Think of the drama, the formulation of the idea, the bold call to the CEO, the nerve-wracking
03:10first presentation, and joy of his success.
03:13It's a story that has everything, and Hollywood seems to agree because there's going to be
03:16a Flamin' Hot Cheetos movie.
03:18The film will trace the story of Montanez's life from family farmhand and elementary school
03:23burrito salesman to janitor, inventor, and businessman.
03:26The movie Flamin' Hot is set to be directed by Eva Longoria, who may be best known for
03:31her role as Gabrielle on Desperate Housewives, but has also directed several short films
03:35and episodes of TV shows including Jane the Virgin.
03:38Longoria expressed her excitement about the project on Twitter, where she said,
03:41It's my privilege to bring the story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, which we all love, to life.
03:47If you've ever felt the urge to keep eating hot Cheetos until they're gone, it's not just
03:51you.
03:52The chemical makeup of Cheetos really does trick the brain into wanting more.
03:55Some of it has to do with their texture.
03:57Apparently, the puffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture of Cheetos tricks the brain into thinking
04:01that the food is low-calorie, a phenomenon called vanishing caloric density.
04:05That means your brain doesn't stop you from eating it because it doesn't seem like substantial
04:09food.
04:10Longoria's hypothesis is that Flamin' Hot Cheetos are what's called hyperpalatable thanks
04:14to their combination of sugar, salt, and fat.
04:17Eating those foods can cause the body to release natural opiates.
04:20Opioids generated by your body, or endorphins, and the capsaicin in the chili powder used
04:24to season Flamin' Hot Cheetos can apparently maximize the opiate release when you eat them.
04:30A handful of school districts in three states, California, Illinois, and New Mexico, have
04:34banned Flamin' Hot Cheetos, both because they aren't nutritious and because they, quote,
04:39They create a brain response similar to what is seen in individuals who are addicted to
04:43illicit substances.
04:44Kids have reported gastrointestinal distress, and some have gone to the ER after eating
04:49the fiery red snack food and seeing what they thought was blood in their stool, only to
04:53discover that the red dye in the Cheetos caused the discoloration.
04:56So these kids are eating them and they're having a lot of pain.
05:00It's because the amount of acid is more than the stomach and also the esophagus can handle.
05:05Though the red dye itself isn't harmful, some doctors worry that it's a sign children are
05:09overeating the hyper-palatable snack.
05:11A doctor at St. Louis Children's Hospital explained,
05:13Our stool doesn't usually become discolored unless you eat huge amounts of red dye, but
05:18Flamin' Hot Cheetos is one food that people will eat enormous amounts of and will see
05:23a change in their stool.
05:24Frito-Lay doesn't sell products directly to schools, and it doesn't actively market snacks
05:28to kids ages 12 and under.
05:30But that hasn't stopped kids from getting their hands on Flamin' Hot Cheetos, so for
05:34some schools, the ban felt necessary.
05:36Kids may not know about the nutritional value, or lack thereof, of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, but
05:41even adults can't seem to stop themselves from binging on the crunchy, spicy, salty
05:45snack.
05:46Just look at rapper Lil Xan.
05:48He ended up in the hospital in September of 2018 because, according to a since-deleted
05:52Instagram post,
05:53I guess I ate too many Hot Cheetos and it ripped something in my stomach a little bit.
06:04Lil Xan added that he apparently vomited some blood and that Hot Cheetos are, quote,
06:08a hell of a drug.
06:09There was some speculation as to whether or not eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos could actually
06:13send someone to the hospital, and conspiracy theorizing that the whole thing was one big
06:17marketing campaign.
06:19While it's rare that eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos could on its own cause a tear in the stomach,
06:23some doctors confirmed that if someone already has digestive issues, eating spicy foods of
06:28any kind can make them worse.
06:30If Lil Xan had an ulcer or some other previously existing stomach condition, then yes, eating
06:35a ton of Flamin' Hot Cheetos or other spicy food could do some damage, but healthy people
06:39who are eating their favorite spicy snack food in moderation shouldn't have to worry
06:43about it.
06:44In 2017, Cheetos opened The Spotted Cheetah in New York City, a pop-up restaurant helmed
06:49by the celeb chef Anne Burrell.
06:51The food wasn't your usual poor gas station nacho cheese into a bag of Hot Cheetos concoctions,
06:57but rather an upscale look at how they can be incorporated into more sophisticated takes
07:01on comfort food dishes.
07:03In 2018, a second Flamin' Hot Cheetos pop-up, The Flamin' Hot Spot, set up shop in Hollywood.
07:08It was even more flashy, with bad-boy restaurateur Roy Choi in charge of the menu.
07:13It featured dishes like a Flamin' Hot Cheetos Crusted Chicken Wings, Cheetos Crunchy Extra
07:18Flamin' Hot Sweet and Spicy Chili Meatballs, Flamin' Hot Cheetos Elotes in a nice nod to
07:23the legendary origins of the snack, and even a Flamin' Hot Cheetos-infused chocolate shake.
07:28Flamin' Hot Cheetos have made appearances in more casual restaurants, too.
07:31There are entire guides showing hungry diners where they can get some Flamin' Hot Cheetos
07:35in their meal in Los Angeles.
07:37And for a while, Taco Bell was serving up Flamin' Hot Cheetos Crunchwrap Sliders, proof
07:42that it's a more versatile ingredient than one might think.
07:45A collaboration between the Cheetos brand and fashion company Forever 21 turned up the
07:49sartorial heat when it debuted in June of 2019.
07:53Cheetos & Forever 21 is a 21-item apparel collection featuring all sorts of accessories
07:58for those who are willing to suffer through the spicy bliss of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
08:02Though some of the items are inspired by the Plain Jane Cheetos, other items sport red
08:06flames in honor of the spicier snack.
08:08There were joggers with a Flamin' Hot design down the side, Flamin' Hot Cheetos crew socks,
08:12a Flamin' Hot bodysuit, a Flamin' Hot Cheetos tube dress, and a selection of trendy leopard
08:17print or, should we say, cheetah print clothes.
08:20Unfortunately, not even a spicy line of Flamin' Hot clothing could save Forever 21.
08:24In the fall of 2019, Forever 21 announced it was closing 7,000 stores and wound up filing
08:30for bankruptcy protection.
08:31A few pieces from the Flamin' Hot Cheetos line were still being sold in stores and online
08:36as of early 2020, though not everything was still available on the Forever 21 website.
08:40But at least you know there's always eBay.
08:42Hopefully a second-hand pair of Cheetos socks doesn't end up costing as much as the Cheeto
08:46purportedly shaped like the highly memed gorilla Harambe, which almost sold for nearly
08:51$100,000 before the seller backed out.
08:54In another viral campaign, Flamin' Hot Cheetos decided to hit the runway at New York Fashion
08:59Week in 2019 with a debut collection from the House of Flamin' Hot.
09:03The collection was curated by fashion influencers Luana, Hungry Hipsters, Alexa Jade, and J.
09:08Boland, and costume designer Amy Goodhart closed out the show.
09:12Everything at the show, from the models' hair and makeup to their accessories and clothes,
09:15was inspired by the Flamin' Hot snack.
09:17The clothing on the runway featured lots of bold reds and oranges, and no one shied away
09:21from the Flamin' Hot Cheetos logos.
09:24Some models even had cheetah-print dyed hair in honor of Chester Cheetah, himself a fashion
09:29icon.
09:30The night wasn't just about watching the fashion show, though.
09:32For guests, there were small bites and cocktails infused with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and there
09:36was even a Flamin' Hot Cheetos-style bar where fans could get their makeup and nails done
09:39in the Flamin' Hot style.
09:41Red eyeliner, powdery orange nails, and cheetah-print hair were the looks of the night.
09:46The man behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos didn't stop at just changing the world of snacks.
09:49Now he's made it his mission to change the world.
09:52Richard Montanez travels the country as a public speaker addressing the importance of
09:56multiculturalism and diversity in industry.
09:59It's no surprise that many conferences and companies seek to have Montanez as a speaker.
10:03Not only can he speak to the importance of valuing all employees, regardless of race
10:07or origin, but also to the importance of hard work, persistence, and just plain putting
10:11yourself out there.
10:12Montanez didn't limit his goals based on his background, and he's made it his job to make
10:16sure that today's youth don't either.
10:18I've got something to say, and I want to say it to the young people.
10:21His work also garnered him several awards and recognitions, including being named as
10:25one of the most influential Hispanics in corporate America by Hispanic Lifestyle magazine.
10:30Montanez has also been invited to the White House on several occasions, and has presented
10:34at a special United Nations event.
10:41For more UN videos visit www.un.org