SALTY SNACKS STEAM TOWARD SPICIER SENSATIONS

RICHARD TURCSIK

DALLAS -- The salty snack aisle is heating up and is going to get hotter.

Judging from the vast array of hot spices displayed at the 1996 SNAXPO Convention here, retailers can look for a preponderance of white-hot salty snacks to hit the store shelves in the months ahead.

At SNAXPO, sponsored by the Snack Food Association, Alexandria, Va., suppliers of ingredients, equipment, packaging and transportation exhibited their wares.

Virtually every spice manufacturer showcased a pepper, chili, Cajun, curry or other hot flavoring as a coating for potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn and other salty snacks. Spice and coating manufacturers interviewed by SN said the hot spices received glowing reviews from attendees.

A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Georgia Spice Co. said its Smoking Gun potato chips, which had a sign in front of them that read "Warning! Try at your own risk" were popular with conventioneers.

Other prototype spices displayed at the booth included hot green chili potato chips, as well as lemon mesquite.

"Hot spices are all the rage," said Daniel P. Kvedoras, vice president of sales at General Spice, a South Plainfield, N.J., firm that specializes in "internal flavors" spices, which are used for baked chips and "healthy" items. "We've noticed a lot more interest in spicy foods this year. Anything hot is popular, including Thai and Calypso-type items."

At the booth for Lenexa, Kan.-based Williams Seasonings, snack food industry officials were trying the Smoked Chipolte tortilla chips and a party mix coated with a Spicy Cajun seasoning.

At the booth sponsored by Integrated Ingredients, a division of Burns Philip Food, several spicy coatings were featured, including, Salsa Rojo, Indian Curry and Shrimp Wasabi.

In addition to a dry version of its famous Tabasco sauce, McIlhenny Co., Avery Island, La., unveiled a new dry, green jalapeno pepper sauce seasoning, which provides less of a "kick" than its famous red counterpart.