Cheetos controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
Dispute over who created Flamin' Hot Cheetos
Richard Montañez publicly claimed that he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos while working at Frito-Lay. Reporting by the Los Angeles Times described an internal company investigation begun in 2018 after a complaint by Lynne Greenfeld. Frito-Lay said its records did not show Montañez participating in the Flamin' Hot test market and did not credit him with creating the product or the broader Flamin' Hot line. Montañez has continued to defend his account, while reporting has identified chronology and documentation conflicts.