Ray Calleja, the founder of the iconic Maltese crisp brand Twistees, has died, the company said on Thursday.

Twistees crisps, a rice-based baked snack, were first created half a century ago in a factory in Marsa.

They have since been exported to European countries like the UK and Germany, as well as to Libya and the Middle East. They are sold under the brand name Tastees in some of those markets.

Mr Calleja was the chairperson of Strand Palace Agencies Ltd and Tastees Manufacturing Limited up until his death. Strand Palace celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Twistees Malta announced Mr Calleja's death on their Facebook group and invited the public to attend his funeral this Saturday.

“For those who would like to join in celebrating his life, funeral will be held on Saturday 11th January 2020 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Ibrag at 9:00 am.”

'Always with a smile'

People on the Twistees Facebook page expressed shock and sadness at Mr Calleja’s passing. Some recalled how he was their boss at one point during their career, while others reflected on his kindness and humility.

“Had the pleasure of working with this honest gentleman! May the Lord grant him eternal peace. Sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family,” one wrote.

Another said he had first met Mr Calleja half a century ago. “A true and honest gentleman and always with a smile on his face," he wrote.

DJ and Producer Kyle Geiger. Picture: Facebook

American DJ and producer Kyle Geiger wrote about his love for Malta’s favourite crisp.

“I love coming to Malta, and part of the reason is because I absolutely love Twistees. I grew up in America, so I used to Cheetos were my favorite snack...but this was only because I had never been to Malta. Now everytime I come, the people who know me always come and greet me with a bag of Twistees. Thanks for being an unsuspecting part of the Maltese culture that I've come to I love. Rest in peace”

An iconic snack

Cheesy Twistees - the best-selling flavour of the snack.

Twistees are created by heating up rice and then passing it through an oven “to bake. The rice is then processed through a mixture which gives the snack its distinct flavour.

Cheesey Twistees are considered to be the most popular flavour of the rice-based snack, followed by other flavours like Smokey Barbeque Twistees, Twistees Lite and Chicken Twistees.

So popular is the crisp brand that users of the Maltese Facebook Group "The Salott", were asked to vote for their favourite brand. Twistees crunched Krips to first place.

A contest was held in March 2019 where voters had to select their favourite crisps from 14 options, which included Gobblers, Chimpeys, Crix, Jungle Sticks and Pom Poms. Krips and Twistees were the last two brands that made to the final.