Cheezels

Cheezels is an Australian snack-food brand best known for ring-shaped, cheese-flavoured snacks made primarily from corn and rice. The product has a crisp, puffy texture and a pronounced savoury cheddar aroma and taste, placing it in the same broad category as cheese puffs, Cheetos, and Canadian cheese snacks while retaining a distinct Australian identity. According to information printed on modern packaging, Cheezels entered the market in 1971. Brand folklore holds that the name was proposed during a naming discussion when a company executive suggested simply calling the product “Cheezels.” The core product is formed as a hollow ring rather than a conventional curl or puff. This shape has become central to the brand’s recognition and informal consumption ritual: consumers have traditionally placed the rings over their fingers before eating them. The combination of visual distinctiveness, intense cheese seasoning, and a crunchy aerated texture has made Cheezels a long-running fixture in Australian packaged snacks. In Australia, the brand is currently produced by Snack Brands Australia, a major local snack manufacturer whose portfolio also includes other established snack names. The Australian formulation is associated with a particularly strong cheddar profile and crisp texture. Cheezels has also appeared in several other markets, but ownership, manufacturing, and product characteristics vary by country rather than being controlled through a single globally uniform operating structure. In New Zealand, Cheezels are manufactured by Bluebird Foods, a PepsiCo company. The New Zealand product is described as less crisp and less intensely cheddar-flavoured than the Australian version. In Malaysia, the brand was initially associated with Danone, later with Kraft Foods, and is currently owned by Mondelēz International alongside Twisties. In some other countries, distribution has been handled by Laura Matte, a business owned by Universal Robina Corporation since 2016 and previously associated with The Real McCoy Snackfood Company. Although Original Cheese remains the defining product, the brand has been extended through variants including Pizza, Smokin’ BBQ, Cheese & Bacon, Chilli Cheese, Chicken, and cheeseburger-flavoured Hoops & Crosses. Miniature Cheezels have also been sold. Some products have used the earlier name “Rashers Cheese & Bacon.” As of 2017, Cheezels products were identified as gluten free. The brand’s continuing presence is built on familiarity, distinctive shape, strong flavour, and its association with Australian snack culture.

Cheezels emerged in Australia in 1971 as a ring-shaped extruded snack made from corn and rice and coated with powdered cheese seasoning. Its product design differentiated it from more familiar straight, curled, or irregular cheese snacks. The hollow ring became both a functional form and a memorable brand asset, enabling consumers to wear the snacks on their fingers before eating them. A commonly repeated piece of company folklore attributes the name to a spontaneous suggestion during a naming discussion, when the product was reportedly described as something that could simply be called “Cheezels.” The Original Cheese variety established the brand’s identity through a strong cheddar flavour and aroma. Its texture is commonly described as crisp and puffy, placing it within the broader cheese-puff and extruded-corn-snack category. Over time, the range expanded beyond the original formulation into flavours such as Pizza, Smokin’ BBQ, Cheese & Bacon, Chilli Cheese, Chicken, and cheeseburger-flavoured Hoops & Crosses. The brand also introduced Minis, which retained the basic concept in a smaller format. Cheese & Bacon has also been marketed under the earlier “Rashers Cheese & Bacon” name. Cheezels developed different ownership and manufacturing arrangements across national markets. In Australia, the brand is currently produced by Snack Brands Australia. In New Zealand, production is handled by Bluebird Foods, which belongs to PepsiCo and competes with Snack Brands Australia in the Australian snack market. The New Zealand version has been described as having a softer or less crisp texture and a milder cheddar profile than the Australian version. In Malaysia, the product was initially produced by Danone, subsequently associated with Kraft Foods, and is now owned by Mondelēz International together with Twisties. In certain other countries, distribution has been connected with Laura Matte; that business has been owned by Universal Robina Corporation since 2016 and was previously linked to The Real McCoy Snackfood Company. The brand’s long-term strength comes from the combination of a recognizable name, an unusual ring shape, high-impact cheese seasoning, and strong association with Australian packaged-snack culture. Packaging information has stated that Cheezels were gluten free as of 2017. The brand remains active, although product availability, ownership, manufacturing, and flavour specifications differ by market.

• 2017

  Cheezels identified as gluten free

  [1]Cheezelsen.wikipedia.org

  Packaging information reported that Cheezels were gluten free as of 2017.

• 2016

  Universal Robina Corporation takes ownership of Laura Matte

  [1]Cheezelsen.wikipedia.org

  Laura Matte, associated with Cheezels distribution in some countries, became owned by Universal Robina Corporation in 2016.

• 1971

  Cheezels enters the Australian snack market

  [1]Cheezelsen.wikipedia.org

  Modern Cheezels packaging identifies 1971 as the year the snack entered the market.

An iconic Australian savoury snack positioned around a distinctive ring shape, crunchy texture, and intense cheese flavour. The brand competes in the mass-market extruded snack category and emphasizes familiarity, indulgence, and playful eating.

• Cheese-flavoured extruded snack · 1971

  Original Cheese

  The signature Cheezels product is a hollow, crisp and puffy ring made from corn and rice and coated with powdered cheese ingredients. It is recognized for a strong savoury cheddar flavour and aroma and serves as the reference point for the wider Cheezels range.

• Flavoured extruded snack

  Pizza

  A pizza-seasoned variation of the ring-shaped Cheezels snack. It extends the brand beyond its core cheese profile while retaining the characteristic extruded form.

• Barbecue-flavoured extruded snack

  Smokin' BBQ

  A barbecue-flavoured Cheezels variant developed for consumers seeking a smoky savoury profile rather than the standard cheese seasoning.

• Cheese-and-bacon extruded snack

  Cheese & Bacon

  A cheese-and-bacon version of the snack, also previously marketed as Rashers Cheese & Bacon. It combines the brand’s cheese base with a bacon-oriented savoury flavour.

• Burger-flavoured extruded snack

  Hoops & Crosses Burger Flavoured

  A cheeseburger-flavoured product using Hoops & Crosses forms inspired by the O-and-X pieces in tic-tac-toe. It applies the Cheezels flavour concept to a differentiated shape format.

• Miniature extruded snack

  Minis

  Miniature versions of the familiar Cheezels ring. The smaller format preserves the brand’s core visual identity while offering a different serving and snacking format.

• Chilli-and-cheese extruded snack

  Chilli Cheese

  A hotter variation combining the established cheese seasoning with chilli flavour. It represents one of the brand’s extensions into stronger and more distinctive savoury profiles.

• Chicken-flavoured extruded snack

  Chicken

  A chicken-flavoured version of the Cheezels snack listed among the brand’s developed flavour extensions. Availability may vary by market and period.

• 2016

  Universal Robina Corporation acquires Laura MatteM&A

  Background

  Laura Matte was involved in distributing Cheezels in some markets and had previously been associated with The Real McCoy Snackfood Company.

  Action taken

  Universal Robina Corporation became the owner of Laura Matte in 2016.

  Aftermath

  Laura Matte continued to be identified as a distributor of Cheezels in some countries, while Australian, New Zealand, and Malaysian production and ownership arrangements remained separately structured.

  Source

1. 1Cheezelsen.wikipedia.org