PLANO, TEXAS — Lay’s potato chips, the flagship snack product of Frito-Lay, Plano, are ubiquitous with flavor experimentation. Beyond old standards of original, sour cream and onion and barbecue, the company has developed and sold cappuccino, bacon poutine and chicken and waffle chips to varying degrees of success.
Three times now, Frito-Lay has held its “Do Us a Flavor” contest that allows members of the public to submit their flavor ideas for a chance at a $1 million prize and seeing the flavor go into production. For the fourth edition of the contest, Frito-Lay is letting adventurous flavor fans in on the action earlier in the process.
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| Sarah Guzman, senior director of marketing for Frito-Lay |
“This year, for the first time on ‘Do Us a Flavor,’ we’re building some anticipation by giving America a glimpse into the potato chip flavor ideas that rose to the top,” said Sarah Guzman, senior director of marketing, Frito-Lay. “With this year’s twist of ‘The Pitch,’ we were able to truly see our fans’ creativity and overall appetite for living life flavorfully.”
This year’s flavor entries are like scanning through a greatest hits list of flavor trends from the past several years. Wavy Avocado Toast chips from Vanessa Herberger of Rancho Cucamonga, Calf., seek to replicate a trend growing in hip L.A.-inspired restaurants, while Nashville Hot Chicken chips entered by Hope Pan from Gainesville, Fla., echo recent attempts by fast-food chains to bring hyper-regional flavors to a larger audience. One of the more unorthodox flavors ideas, Kettle Cooked Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese submitted by Lindsay Hoffman in Palm City, Fla., looks to translate a savory breakfast item with something of a cult following to the chip aisle.
Other flavor entries for this year’s contest are Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper, Toasted Ravioli, Wavy Fried Green Tomato, Kettle Cooked Smoked Gouda and Honey, Wavy Spinach Artichoke Dip, Crispy Taco and Sloppy Joe.
Frito-Lay assembled a panel of chefs and flavor experts that will select three finalists from this pool of flavors to be fully developed and then voted on by consumers. Previous winning entries include Cheesy Garlic Bread, Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger and Southern Biscuits and Gravy.
A more in-depth look at the entries can be found at www.dousaflavor.com.
