Are you wondering whether Fritos are vegan-friendly?
The snack was made in 1932 when C. E. Doolin fried some corn dough. But, the snack didn’t take off until 1945 when it partnered with Herman W. Lay’s potato chip business. Combined the Frito Lay company started receiving sales of over $1 billion per year by 1979. The chips are so popular today, we can understand a vegan’s interest in them. Is Fritos Vegan-friendly? Continue reading to find out.
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Is Fritos Corn Chips Vegan-Friendly?
The answer is: Yes
Fortunately, Fritos are fit for vegan consumption. The ingredients are very simple: corn, corn oil, and salt. Their website doesn’t state that the chips are vegan. But they have guaranteed that they are free of animal enzymes and flavors. The Frito-Lay company also guarantees that the corns are sustainably sourced.
What Are Fritos Chips Made Of?
Ingredients
FRITOS® Original Corn Chips: Corn, Corn Oil, and Salt.
Why is Fritos Vegan Friendly?
The vegan-friendly feature of the chips only holds true for some of the flavors though. Flavors such as the Flaming Hot Fritos are not vegan-friendly as they contain animal by-products such as cheese, milk, and whey. Red40 is also included in the ingredients. It is not an animal product or by-product, but the dye has to be FDA approved before it can be included in the chips. Healthline has advised that the tests for approval are done on animals that are later euthanized. You would have to ensure you are careful about the type of Frito you choose to enjoy.
The company has also made efforts to improve the health of its snacks. They have ensured that 75% of their products don’t exceed 1.1 grams of fat for every 100 calories.
The Frito-Lay company has taken strides in environmental sustainability. They have reported that since 2019 they have reduced packaging plastic by more than 7.8 million pounds. They’ve also saved 1 million trees by reusing cardboard 5 times!
Final Thoughts
Frito Flavors like the Original and BBQ, are vegan-friendly snacks. The ingredients are up-front and simple which is every vegan’s dream. They contain no animal products or by-products.
Vegan’s have to be careful about some of the other flavors, as they do have ingredients that are animal-sourced. Fritos are however pushing to have healthier snacks and healthier production practices that are better for the environment. So go ahead, and have a crispy chip from the Fritos!
For more information on Frito, check out the official website here.