PLANO, Texas -- On October 1, Fritos brand corn chips will celebrate its 80th anniversary by setting out to achieve a world record for the biggest-ever Fritos Chili Pie. A mixture of Fritos corn chips, chili and cheddar cheese, Fritos Chili Pie has long been one of America's favorite ways to enjoy Fritos corn chips, which is a flagship product within PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division.
The Guinness World Records title attempt will take place at the State Fair of Texas.
"For 80 years, Fritos corn chips have been an important piece of Americana," said Tony Matta, vice president of marketing for Frito-Lay. "Our ... attempt will not only add a new milestone to our proud history, it will also serve as a hearty celebration for this timeless snack."
The company will build the oversized Fritos Chili Pie in Big Tex Circle at the footsteps of famed fair mascot Big Tex. If a world record is set, an official adjudicator will verify the accomplishment. The company will share the pie, along with a variety of Pepsi beverages, with fairgoers eager to sample the record-breaking treat.
Fritos has invited fans across America to also join the 80th anniversary celebration by helping an important cause. The brand is partnering with Hormel Chili to support U.S. troops through the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). From September 16 through October 13, consumers can look for special displays at local retailers featuring a $1-off coupon for combined purchase of Fritos corn chips and Hormel Chili. For every coupon redeemed, Fritos and Hormel Foods will donate $1 to WWP, up to $100,000, to honor and empower wounded warriors in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Fritos brand was born in 1932 when Elmer Doolin purchased a corn chips recipe from a local businessman and began making the first Fritos chips from his mother's kitchen with a converted potato ricer. The popularity of the snack grew in 1961 when he joined forces with H.W. Lay & Co. to create Frito-Lay Inc. Doolin's mother, Daisy Dean Doolin, created recipes to help market Fritos corn chips by using them as an ingredient in a wide range of dishes, including her now-famous Fritos Chili Pie. Once a dish favored in small hometowns, Fritos Chili Pie is now served coast to coast, the company said.
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y. Hormel Foods Corp., based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products for the food industry.
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Its main businesses--Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola--make hundreds of foods and beverages.
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