Making Cheetos is no easy process.  You can read all about the science of cornmeal, friction, frying, and applying cheese powder here.  But after I spent some time reading about how Cheetos are made, I was most struck by the end of the process: Quality Control.

According to Wired Magazine, “Every half hour, an in-house lab analyzes the chemical composition of samples pulled from the cooking line to verify that the Cheetos have the right density and nutritional content. Then, every four hours, a four-person panel convenes to inspect and taste the snacks, comparing them to perfect reference Cheetos sent from Frito-Lay headquarters.”

It’s pretty clear, the makers of Cheetos care deeply about the process and the end product.  Think about it.  How often do Cheetos get tested?

•    (Scientifically) 2 times an hour x 8 hours x 14 plants x 5 days x 52 weeks = 58,240 tests every year

•    (Team taste test / Performance check) 2 times a day x 14 plants x 5 days x 52 weeks = 7280 tests every year by an entire team

How often do we test what we are doing in our ministries?  How often do you gather the team to review what happened in a service, to run through the plan, to refine the service components?  Recently I have been reminded of how important it is to gather our key leaders to debrief after a large group experience.