Cheetos Twisted Sweet and Spicy Snacks, 120g

Cheetos Twisted are twisted corn puffs, and Sweet and Spicy is the sticky, fiery one, a sweet coating with a kick. This is the 120g sharing bag, which the listing says holds three to four servings. The full product name on the pack is sweet and spicy flavour corn puffs.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the puffs are made from corn (maize), rapeseed oil and a sweet and spicy flavour of sugar, acids (sodium acetates and malic acid), flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate and disodium 5' ribonucleotide), flavouring (containing soya and wheat), fructose, soya sauce powder (containing wheat), salt, onion powder, hydrolysed vegetable protein (soya), garlic powder and colours (paprika extract and sulphite ammonia caramel).

Twisted corn puffs

Corn puffs like these are extruded: a corn dough is pushed through a shaped die and puffs up as it leaves, and the twisted shape curls as it goes. The result is a light, airy puff that crunches and then melts. The pack says made of corn, not fried.

The sweet

Sugar leads the flavour and fructose, a fruit sugar, follows, so the coating is sweet first. The label gives 4g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale, and 1.2g in a 30g serving.

The spicy

No chilli is named on the list: the heat comes from the flavouring, with onion and garlic behind it. It is a warm, building kick rather than a burn, softened by the sugar.

Soya sauce and umami

Soya sauce powder and hydrolysed vegetable protein give a deep, savoury umami under the sweetness, and the flavour enhancers, monosodium glutamate and disodium 5' ribonucleotide, strengthen it. This bag does contain MSG.

The acids

Sodium acetates, from the acid of vinegar, and malic acid, the acid of apples, give the coating a sharp, sweet and sour edge.

The colours

Paprika extract gives the red orange colour, and sulphite ammonia caramel, a caramel colour, darkens it.

Rapeseed oil

Rapeseed oil is the only oil on the list. The label gives 30g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.5g of saturates, amber.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 160 kcal, 9g of fat, 0.8g of saturates, 18g of carbohydrate, 1.2g of sugars, 0.3g of fibre, 1.7g of protein and 0.58g of salt for a 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 13% of the fat and 10% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 534 kcal (2232 kJ), 30g of fat, 2.5g of saturates, 60g of carbohydrate, 4g of sugars, 1.1g of fibre, 5.5g of protein and 1.9g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 30g is red. Saturates at 2.5g are amber. Sugars at 4g are green. Salt at 1.9g is red.

Salt

At 1.9g of salt per 100g, this carries more salt than the Cheetos Cheese Puffs at 1.6g; both are red on the front of pack scale.

Corn

Corn, or maize, is the first ingredient, and the corn dough gives the puffs their light, even texture.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 60g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 4g are sugars; the rest is starch from the corn. Fibre is 1.1g and protein 5.5g per 100g.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight wheat and soya, in the flavouring, the soya sauce powder and the hydrolysed vegetable protein. The allergy advice says the puffs may contain celery, milk and mustard. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Three to four servings

The listing says the 120g bag holds three to four servings of 30g. Tip a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Once opened

The listing advises a cool, dry place and says to eat the puffs within 3 days of opening, so fold the bag down and clip it shut.

No artificial preservatives

The pack says there are no artificial preservatives.

Recycling

The pack says, for the UK only, recycle at store and don't recycle at home: the bag goes with carrier bags at large supermarkets.

Fingers

The sweet, sticky coating comes off on your fingers, so keep a napkin by the bowl.

The pack

The red bag, orange at the top, carries the Cheetos name on a spotted, puff shaped letter, the word twisted in large pale letters, the words sweet and spicy in yellow, a few twisted puffs and a red chilli, a round stars and stripes badge and the 120g weight.

Who it suits

A sweet, spicy, airy puff suits anyone who likes a sweet chilli style snack with a kick, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya, or anyone avoiding MSG.

Serving ideas

Put a bowl out with a cold beer or a cola, or beside a tray of nachos at a film night.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the puffs make a sweet, spiced crumb for chicken goujons, or a crunchy topping for a macaroni cheese with a kick.

At a party

Tip the bag into a bowl beside a milder snack, so guests who do not like heat have a choice.

Other Cheetos

We also stock Cheetos Cheese Puffs in a six bag multipack of 13g bags.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.