Cheetos minus the cheese

Cheetos, the crispy American cheese puffs, have come to China minus the cheese. Residents of Guangdong province of China, where the $1 million venture has been launched, have reportedly turned up their noses at the "cheesy taste".

Pepsico, the maker of Cheetos, is now offering 2 flavors, Savory American Cream and Zesty Japanese Steak, which it hopes will suit Chinese tastebuds better. But is a Cheeto a Cheeto if it doesn't taste like cheese? "It's still crispy, it has a Cheeto shape and it's fun to eat, so it's a Cheeto," says Jeffrey Goh, general manager of Pepsico Foods International. Pepsico hopes to make a neat packet out of the venture as the market for Western snacks in Guangdong is pegged between $40 to $70 million.