Mexican snacking brand Takis’ latest UK launch is the very epitome of ultra-processed foods. Enticingly named Blue Heat, the rolled tortilla chip snacks are made from corn flour, and contain such delicacies as palm fat, maltodextrin and various flavour enhancers (such as monosodium glutamate). Most strikingly, they are bright blue.

The launch comes despite three-quarters of shoppers (77%) saying they are concerned about ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, according to the FSA [Consumer Insights Tracker June 2024]. So, as manufacturers face increasing pressure to clean up their ingredient lists, what makes Takis owner Grupo Bimbo – along with Blue Heat stockists Co-op, Morrisons Daily and Aldi – confident the snacks will sell?

Takis has “exploded in popularity, especially among teenagers”, says Rubén Herrera, VP of Grupo Bimbo subsidiary Barcel USA. It debuted its spicy rolled tortilla chips in Mexico in the 1990s, bringing its Fuego variant to the US in 2006. In recent years, Takis has also gone viral on TikTok thanks to shoppers posting videos of themselves eating the fiery snacks.

Soaring global demand facilitated a UK launch in 2021. As of February 2024, when Takis secured its first permanent UK grocery listing with Co-op for Fuego and Volcano, the brand’s global sales had surpassed $2bn, claims Grupo Bimbo. Today, Takis’ value sales in the UK are already at £19.2m, according to NIQ data [52 w/e 22 February 2025].

Blue is the colour

Blue Heat, the brand’s second top-selling variant in the US, has already hit Co-op and Aldi shelves in the UK and will roll into Morrisons Daily in April. It is “set to resonate strongly with UK consumers and drive further growth within the category”, thanks to its “unmatched intensity across heat, flavour and visual appeal”, says Takis marketing manager Becky Allan.

The colourful snacks have also been doing the rounds on TikTok since their US launch in 2019.

Luke Stockton, Nestlé senior insights specialist for confectionery innovation, explains the disconnect between Takis’ sales and the FSA’s finding on attitudes as the “say-do gap”, where shoppers don’t necessarily change their purchasing habits in line with their expressed concerns.

It’s why UPF concerns have dominated headlines, but ”neon blue drinks and snacks are still flying off the shelves”.

Blue is indeed the colour du jour: Takis Blue Heat follows a series of high-profile blue soft drink launches in 2024. Lucozade unveiled blue variants for its Sport, Energy and Alert drinks in February (rsp: from £1/500ml). In June, Pepsi added a limited-edition blue cola, Pepsi Electric (rsp: £1.99/500ml).

Consumer choice

But insight and shopper marketing consultant and Deovise co-founder Charlotte Derra says the discrepancy between expressed consumer concern and actual buying habits does not extend equally to all categories. “There are some categories where the UPF debate is clearly having an impact,” she says, pointing to a recent decline in sales of margarine, value sliced bread and nut butters containing palm oil.

“However, I don’t think it’s impacting treat categories in the same way. People think, ‘I’m going to avoid UPFs in my meals, but with chocolate and crisps, I’m having a treat anyway, so does it matter?’”

Consumer demographics also play a role, says Phil McMahon, retail and engagement strategist at Really Good Culture. Blue is, “let’s be honest, a colour that’s really going to attract younger consumers, who are perhaps less concerned about UPF anyway”, he says.

So, is launching such a blatant UPF, directly targeted at young shoppers, ethical? “It’s fine,” says McMahon, pointing out that Takis has “reformulated the product for the UK market”. The amount of the colouring Brilliant Blue FCF (known in the US as Blue 1 Lake), for instance, has been dialled down, with spirulina extract added.

And it’s not just Brilliant Blue that’s problematic. Derra believes: “MSG should have been developed out a long time ago. I don’t think it should be in any products.” 

However, “if it’s gone through production here, it’s passed the test”, says McMahon. “Some other brands might be trying to get ahead of regulation that they think might be coming down the path, and that’s admirable, but I do think the conversation around UPF is overwhelmingly negative and a little bit unfair.”

On stocking Takis Blue Heat, the Co-op simply says it aims to offer customers a choice, “which includes healthier snacks and occasional treats, so they can make informed decisions”. Customers, though, will continue to make snack choices whether they are informed or otherwise.

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