Are Takis Vegan? (Hint : Not All Flavors Are!)

We all know how hard it is to find a vegan snack. Well, you will say there are plenty of options – healthy options like veggie straws. Yes, but we enjoy having a packet of crunchy snacks while watching TV as much as any vegetarian or non-vegetarian does. It’s quick and straightforward. Still, because of the lack of information, just grabbing a packet of Takis or Veggie Straws is not a simple decision as it may seem. 

Plus, some of the companies make both the vegan and the non-vegan varieties of the same snack. This is the reason, we scrutinized Doritos, Cheerios and many other brands for its vegan status.But none of these is transparent to the public eyes. There are a lot of layers of information and of course, misinformation to penetrate. Just take the example of Takis.

They are immensely popular and are very delicious. But there is something fishy about it. Like, how well do we know about the ingredients it’s made out of! Are Takis vegan or do they have dairy or gluten- questions like these need to be answered. So let’s dive in and discover more about how takis is made and if it is vegan or not. 

What Are Takis?

Takis are actually rolled-up tortilla chips having a good amount of seasonings and other ingredients to add flavors. They are popular for being hot and spicy. Takis come in a lot of different flavors such as Salsa Brava, Fuego Hot Chilli Pepper, Zombie Habanero and so on. So, you’re not out of flavors anytime. 

Ingredients in Takis

Takis come in a range of different flavors. But according to Barcel – the company that produces Takis, all Takis are made out of the only one corn-based recipe which is actually vegan. So, what are takis made of – they all are made from corn flour, vegetable oil, preservatives, colors and seasonings. However, every flavor has a unique mixture of seasonings and colors. 

Let’s take a closer look at the Ingredients of the classic Takis Fuego:

Corn Masa Flour (Processed With Lime), Vegetable Oil (Palm And/Or Soybean And/Or Canola Oil (know Canola Oil’s vegan status) And/Or Rice Bran Oil ), Seasoning [Salt, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract (Learn whether Yeast is vegan or not), Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Baking Soda, Soybean Oil, Chili Pepper (Chile), Disodium Inosinate (check E631’s vegan status), Disodium Guanylate, Tbhq (Antioxidant)].

It contains 2 debatable ingredients, Sugar and Disodium Inosinate, while we consider sugar a vegan ingredient as it has a plant-based version, disodium inosinate is used in minute quantities that can be disregarded to be present in this flavor.

So, are Takis Fuego Vegan? – Yes, Takis Fuego is vegan as it contains all the vegan-friendly ingredients in it. 

Now, let’s have the Ingredients of Crunchy Fajitas Takis –

Corn Masa Flour (Processed With Lime), Vegetable Oil (Palm And/Or Soybean And/Or Canola And/Or Rice Bran Oil), Seasoning [Maltodextrin, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Chili Pepper (Chile), Citric Acid, Onion Powder, Natural And Artificial Flavors (Milk, Egg), Artificial Colors (Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake (check Red 40 is vegan or not), Dextrose, Sugar]

Just pay attention to the seasonings. It’s the one thing that differentiates the vegan Takis from the non-vegan ones. As you saw, Crunchy Fajitas Takis contains the seasonings of milk and eggs to build up the flavor. So take your time to read the ingredient list before buying it. 

Are Takis Dairy-Free?

The commonly asked question ‘do takis have dairy?’ has only one answer. Some of the Takis are vegan and dairy-free. But some of them contain seasonings of various dairy products to produce a particular artificial flavor. Takis which have dairy products are –

• Crunchy Fajitas Takis – contains milk and eggs. 
• Guacamole – contains milk. 
• Xplosion – contains milk and cheese. 

Also Read: 100% Dairy Free & Cruelty Free Milk Alternatives

Are Takis Gluten-Free?

No, Takis are not gluten-free and are made in a facility where wheat may be processed too. So, if you have an allergic reaction to wheat or have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you should totally avoid eating Takis. 

Which Takis Are Vegan?

There already lies a bunch of confusions regarding if Takis are vegan or not. Though all the flavors are made using the same, basic recipe, it’s the seasonings which we have to look carefully at. Below are different types of Takis (vegan and non-vegan flavors):

Are Takis Unhealthy

Yes, Takis are made from flour, oil, artificial flavors and seasonings which are not healthy at all. Plus, they use food coloring additives like Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, which are proven to have harmful effects on your body. There’s no doubt that vegans do live a better and healthier life. But sometimes we feel the need to have a bite of a packaged snack as it saves time and energy.

Still, there are not many companies that produce vegan snacks when the need is equal to all people with different food choices. But companies like Barcel have both vegan and non-vegan Takis to fulfill everyone’s needs. When it comes to the health part, Takis are not healthy at all. Still, it’s good to know that vegans have options and many flavors to try when they want to.

Conclusion

So, are takis vegan friendly? – Yes, the flavors mentioned-above are vegan friendly and natural. Although snacks such as fritos (check fritos vegan status) and Takis aren’t as healthy as the other vegan Food items like veggie straws (check veggie Straws vegan status), it can be consumed and enjoyed by vegans too. 

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