Is American Style Corn Chips Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a snack is truly vegan, we have to look beyond the marketing and dive straight into the chemistry. The base of these American Style Corn Chips is a simple, traditional mixture of White Corn and Blue Organic Corn. Corn is, of course, a plant, and the inclusion of blue corn adds a nice antioxidant profile without affecting the vegan status.

The fat source used here is Organic Palm Olein Oil. While there are environmental concerns regarding palm oil production, from a strictly dietary standpoint, it is a vegetable oil and is considered vegan. It provides that signature fried crispness without the need for animal fats like lard, which were common in older tortilla chip recipes.

For flavor, the chips use Water, Sea Salt, and Lime. This is a clean, minimalist flavoring profile. Citrus oils like lime are naturally plant-derived. The only ingredient that might raise an eyebrow for some is FD&C Red 40. This is a synthetic food dye. While some vegans avoid artificial dyes due to animal testing concerns, it is not an animal ingredient. It is simply a petroleum-derived colorant used to enhance the visual appeal of the chips.

Nutritional Value

While these chips are vegan, it is important to view them through a nutritional lens as well. Like most fried corn products, American Style Corn Chips are energy-dense. The primary macronutrients are carbohydrates from the corn and fats from the palm oil. If you are tracking your caloric intake, you will want to be mindful of portion sizes, as the oil content drives the calorie count up significantly compared to air-popped snacks.

Regarding sugar, these chips typically contain negligible amounts, which is a plus for those avoiding added sugars. However, the sodium content from the Sea Salt can be high. For individuals on a low-sodium diet for heart health, these should be consumed in moderation. They fit well into a vegan diet for indulgence, but they shouldn't replace whole-food staples like vegetables and legumes in your daily intake.