Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. janitor / ˈdʒæn ɪ tər / (n.) – a person whose work is to clean and care for a building
    Example:

    The janitors worked late into the night to ensure the offices were clean for the next day.


  2. seasoned / ˈsi zənd / (adj.) – (of food) having spices or herbs added to enhance flavor
    Example:

    The couple ate seasoned steaks for their special dinner date.


  3. motivational / ˌmoʊ təˈveɪ ʃə nl / (adj.) – relating to something that encourages or inspires someone to take action or improve their behavior and performance
    Example:

    Reading motivational books helped her set new goals to achieve.


  4. memoir / ˈmɛm wɑr / (n.) – a written account in which someone describes past experiences, often personal or based on their own life
    Example:

    The memoir details the author’s travels around the world.


  5. come up with (something) / kʌm ʌp wɪθ / (phrasal v.) – to suggest or think of an idea, a plan, or a solution
    Example:

    During the meeting, she came up with several suggestions to increase productivity.


Article

Read the text below.

A court case could soon settle a spicy dispute: Who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?


A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented the popular flavor of Cheetos snacks.


PepsiCo said it has no comment on the lawsuit, which was filed on July 18 in California Superior Court. 


According to his lawsuit, Richard Montañez began working for PepsiCo as a janitor at its Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in 1977. Montañez was the son of a Mexican immigrant and grew up in a migrant labor camp.


One day, a machine in Montañez’s plant broke down, leaving a batch of unflavored Cheetos. Montañez says he took the batch home and dusted them with chili powder, trying to replicate the flavor of “elote,” the popular grilled seasoned corn served in Mexico.


In 1991, Montañez asked for a meeting with PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico to pitch his spicy Cheetos, confident they would be a hit with the Latino community. Enrico granted the meeting, liked the presentation and directed the company to develop spicy Cheetos, according to the lawsuit.


Montañez said PepsiCo sent him on speaking engagements and actively promoted his story. But in the meantime, Montañez claims the company’s research and development department shut him out of its discussions and testing.


PepsiCo introduced Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in 1992. Montañez says he continued to develop spicy snacks, like Flamin’ Hot Popcorn and Lime and Chili Fritos, and in 2000, he was promoted to a business development manager in Southern California. Montañez eventually became PepsiCo’s vice president of multicultural marketing and sales.


Montañez said demand for speaking engagements was so great that he retired from PepsiCo in 2019 to become a motivational speaker full-time. He published a memoir in 2021 and his life story was made into a movie, “Flamin’ Hot,” in 2023.


But according to the lawsuit, PepsiCo turned on Montañez in 2021, cooperating with a Los Angeles Times piece that claimed others in the company were already working on spicy snacks when Montañez approached them, and that they—not Montañez—came up with the name, “Flamin’ Hot.”


Montañez said PepsiCo’s about-face has hurt his speaking career and other potential opportunities, including a documentary about his life.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Richard Montañez began working for PepsiCo as a janitor and was promoted to higher positions in the company. Do you find stories like Montañez’s inspiring? Why or why not? What stories have inspired you to do better at work and in life? Discuss.
  • Do you know any motivational speakers from your country? Do you like learning from motivational speakers? Why or why not? How did he/she inspire people in your country? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Why do you think giving proper credit for someone’s original ideas or work is important? How do you think people feel if they are not recognized for their original ideas or work? Discuss.
  • Imagine you weren’t given proper credit for your ideas or work. How would you handle the situation? Would you have done the same thing as Montañez and filed a lawsuit? Why or why not? Discuss.