CHEESE POPCORNS — SMARTFOOD and CHEETOS

Information updated January 2024

Do you remember the first time you tasted Cheddar Popcorn? I do. Wow! Two things meant to be together, for sure. Homemade Cheddar Popcorn has only a few ingredients:

Let’s look at what’s in the big brands of Cheese Popcorn. 

SMARTFOOD IS FRITO-LAY’S FLAGSHIP CHEESE POPCORN ITEM. A highly profitable business, Smartfood was acquired by PepsiCo and this allowed for significant increased distribution which grew the brand to a dominant position in the ready-to-eat popcorn arena.  Smartfood is dwarfed in popularity by make-at-home brands like Orville Redenbacher and Pop Secret. (Source: Statista 2024)

FRITO-LAY HAS A CHEESE POPCORN FOR CONSUMERS SEEKING A HEALTHIER/CLEANER PRODUCT:  Cheese Popcorn consumers who are seeking healthier snack options are likely willing to pay more for a higher quality product >> these users will purchase items like Frito-Lay’s higher-priced Smartfood Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. (Source for Smartfood Cheddar Cheese Popcorn ingredients: PepsiCo Smartfood Web site 1/24)

FRITO-LAY ALSO HAS A CHEESE POPCORN FOR YOUNGER-SKEWING CONSUMERS WHO ARE SEEKING INTENSE FLAVORS: Frito-Lay produces other cheddar popcorns as well such as Cheetos Cheddar Flavored Popcorn featuring the Chester the Cheetah spokesperson. Cheese Popcorn consumers who aren’t too concerned with health and are seeking intense flavor experiences will gravitate towards Frito-Lay’s Cheetos Cheddar Flavored Popcorn. Distribution of this product will be based on creating access for these target users.

PEPSICO’S FRITO-LAY CHEETOS CHEDDAR FLAVORED POPCORN IS BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS: Although the Cheetos product was never developed for Whole Foods Market distribution, this Frito-Lay snack contains three ingredients which are banned at Whole Foods Market who cites these ingredients as “Unacceptable in food”, including Monosodium Glutamate (a.k.a. MSG), Artificial Flavors and Artificial Colors. (Source for Cheetos Popcorn ingredients: PepsiCo Cheetos Web site 1/24; Source for ingredients banned: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 1/24)

FRITO-LAY CHEDDAR POPCORN COMPARISON: Let’s compare Frito-Lay’s Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn to their Cheetos Cheddar Flavored Popcorn >> the Cheetos-branded product uses multiple ingredients which are Not In Kitchen and the product is banned at Whole Foods vs. the base Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn which has one ingredient Not In Kitchen, added Natural Flavor.

ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL SMARTFOOD PRODUCT REMAINS (relatively) TRUE TO ITS INGREDIENT ORIGINS, FRITO-LAY’S LINE EXTENSIONS UNDER THE SMARTFOOD BANNER HAVE COMPROMISED THE NUTRITIONAL INTEGRITY OF THE BRAND. Smartfood line extensions include numerous Not In Kitchen ingredients >> ingredients which would never be in our kitchens if we were making versions of these popcorns at home. (Source: PepsiCo Smartfood Web site 1/24; Source for FDA-recognized preservatives: U.S. FDA 2024)

Here are two examples of current Smartfood popcorn offerings with many ingredients Not In Kitchen:

REAL CHEESE POPCORNS WHICH ARE CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE ARE ORGANIC (all organic products are, by definition, NON-GMO), HAVE NO ADDED FLAVORS OR COLORS AND NO CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES. These brands include General Mills-owned Annie’s Organic White Cheddar Popcorn and Whole Foods 365 Organic White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

Discover more food and beverage products whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

Q: WHY IS FRITO-LAY’S SMARTFOOD CHEDDAR CHEESE POPCORN NOT ON THE Closest To Homemade LIST?

A: Smartfood Cheddar Cheese Popcorn is not organic + contains Corn Oil + possibly Canola Oil (if that’s cheaper than Sunflower Oil when purchased). According to the FDA 2024, 92% of U.S. corn is GMO and 95% of U.S. canola is GMO. Genetically Modified ingredients are Far From Homemade.

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