On the market since the 90’s, odds are you’ve tried Takis before if you’re a fan of chip variety in your life.
Yes, Takis chips are indeed vegan.
If you’ve recently gone vegan, or have been for some time, perhaps you’re wondering if Takis chips are vegan.
Believe it or not, many chip brands actually have animal by-products like cheese or milk powder on the ingredients list.
Seeing as how we are in the 2020’s, there are many brands of chips on the markets nowadays – and many vegan chip options, too.
Let’s explore Takis and see what they’re all about.
What are Takis?
Takis, originally named Taquis, is a Mexican hot and spicy brand corn-based chip that looks just like a Taquito.
Being a more famous chip in the United States and in Mexico, and owned by a Mexican company called Barcel, Takis vegan chips are a winner for a deep-fried curly tortilla chip with the crunch factor.
Takis are made from a standard corn masa flour tortilla recipe using oil, seasoning, coloring, and preservatives – which is a pretty typical ingredient base for most chips.
If you’re someone that enjoys eating snacks with spicy flavor profiles, then odds are you’ll love Takis vegan chips.
Ingredients in Takis
-Corn Flour
-Vegetable oil (Canola oil)
-Soybean Oil
-Rice Bran Oil
-Seasoning
-Onion Powder
-Yeast Extract
-Baking Soda
-Natural and artificial flavors
-Chili Pepper
– Disodium Inosinate
-TBHQ
-Corn Masa Flour
-Corn Starch
-Chili Pepper
-Citric Acid
Takis do come in many flavors, with some spicy spiciness in each. All the different flavors do have the same corn-based recipe.. mainly it’s just the colorings and spices that are a bit different that vary from flavor to flavor.
Takis Fuego
If you are King or Queen of Spice, this is the Takis flavor you want – and is the most popular.
Think flaming hot cheetos.
The ingredients are pretty much the same in the Takis Fuego flavor, save the Red 40 lake and Yellow 6 colorings, and monosodium glutamate.
While these chips do not have any animal products or byproducts in them, these colorings are unfortunately inhumanely tested on animals. This may be an issue for some vegans out there, but if animal ingredients in the product are the only thing concerning to you – these Takis don’t have any, so you’re in the clear there.
Takis Salsa Brava
Salsa Brava Takis were discontinued off of the market by Barcel USA a few years back. So, if you’ve heard through the grapevine that this is a tasty chip pick, we’re sorry to say that these are no longer available.
Takis Nitro
One of the spicier flavors of Takis, these spicy Takis are not for the faint of heart. This corn flour masa processed tortilla chip is yummy, but don’t say we didn’t warn you about the spice.
Do know that these chips also contain the Red 40 ingredient. Takis are vegan, so, no animal ingredients or milk in this one, either.
Limited Edition Takis Blue Heat
Can you say firepower?
You might want to try these hot chili pepper and lime flavored vegan tortilla chips while they’re still on the shelves.
If you don’t feel like going to the grocery store, you can order these on Amazon and have them shipped straight to you.
These follow the same recipe base as Takis Fuego. Note that these have red 40 and yellow 6 in them, too, just so ya know.
And be forewarned – they are SPICY.
Are Takis Gluten-Free?
Takis are not gluten-free. So, if you’re wheat-aversed, then Takis are not for you.
Takis are both vegan and halal (meaning there isn’t any pork in them).
FYI, Takis vegan chips are also labeled with the disclaimer of “may contain traces of milk, egg, wheat, and peanuts.” This basically means that though there are not any of these ingredients in the tortilla chips themselves, they have been manufactured in a facility where items with these ingredients are processed.
With the risk of cross-contamination, it means that animals could have been involved at some point or another. For those of you that are very strict vegans or have an allergy to any of these food ingredients, it might be best to avoid these altogether.
Are Takis vegan chips healthy?
Of course, just because something is vegan doesn’t always mean it’s nutritious and healthy.
In particular, the food colorings Red 40 lake and Yellow 6 aren’t the most ideal for healthy ingredients. For more information on the negative health effects of these food dyes, check out this link.
Also, an ingredient used to enhance flavor in Takis Fuego chips and also one to zoom in on is monosodium glutamate. That’s code for MSG, which is a neurotoxin, meaning it’s toxic to the human brain. Though it’s safe to consume, some people may have a sensitivity to it and experience negative health side effects.
Takis vegan chips also contain soybean oil and canola oils, which aren’t the healthiest.
With this being said, Takis are vegan, the deciding factor just depends on how much discretion you use in your dietary regime. Everything in moderation including moderation, right?
How to make homemade Takis Vegan
If you’re curious to put your Taki-making skills to the test at home, check out this video. Do know that you’ll need a food processor.
Final Thoughts
Yes, Takis are vegan. If you try these tortilla chip snacks and for some reason do not like them, there are a plethora of other vegan chip brands on the market to choose from. Or, if you’re just opposed to the animal cruelty associated with Takis, you might try out a different option for tortilla chips.
