Cheetos cheese curls, a well-known snack food marketed by Frito-Lay, are made in 14 factories in 11 states, according to Wired.com. The manufacturing process takes only a few minutes, but the steps require accurate coordination.
Cornmeal Extrusion
Cornmeal is pumped 100 yards from storage through a tube into a hopper at the factory. The meal enters an extruding machine, which rubs, melts and heats the cornmeal, which boils and pops into a cylindrical shape. The extruder expels the Cheetos, which fall onto a conveyor belt.
Frying
The Cheetos are fried as they travel through a pan of hot vegetable oil. They are fried until crunchy, when their moisture level falls to less than 2 percent. When done, they move to another conveyor belt.
Adding Cheese
Nozzles spray a mix, consisting of oil and powdered cheese, onto the Cheetos, coating them thoroughly. The coated pieces fall onto another conveyer belt, where they cool before they are packaged and shipped from the factory.
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