Are Blue Takis Vegan and Cruelty Free? (April, 2024)

Figuring out whether Blue Takis are vegan can be complicated.

Chips usually have many ingredients, and some might not be vegan. Non-vegan ingredients are often masked in vague terms such as “natural flavors.”

To ensure you only buy and eat foods that align with your vegan diet and ethics, I’ve looked into the ingredients of Blue Takis.

Here’s what I’ve found.

Are Blue Takis Vegan?

No. Blue Takis are not vegan.

Many people think Takis are vegan but upon closer inspection, that’s actually not the case.

While the chips themselves are made from corn, flour, and oil, they do have several ingredients that are of concern to vegans.

Sugar is an ingredient most people often overlook. Refined sugar is often filtered with bone char, which is made from the bones of cows. Not all refined sugar is filtered with bone char, but large food companies often have multiple sources of sugar and don’t note which ones use bone char.

Vegan-friendly sugar would often have “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined” on the label.

Other questionable ingredients are disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are flavor enhancers often made from animal sources. This ingredient can sometimes be sourced from starch but is generally produced from animals.

Natural and artificial flavors are also in the list of ingredients. These flavors can come from animal, plant, or synthetic sources. Barcel, the company that owns Takis, did not disclose what source they use for their natural and artificial flavors.

The product is also manufactured in a facility that handles milk and eggs. This means the risk of cross contamination is pretty high. If you’re strictly vegan or have allergies to milk and eggs, you should avoid Blue Takis. Looking at their allergen info, they really don’t seem to be too careful about preventing cross contamination.

So, while Blue Takis don’t contain the usual dairy and eggs that most chips have, they’re not vegan due to the very likely use of bone char filtering in their sugar and animal-based flavor enhancers.

Is Blue Takis Cruelty-Free?

Blue Takis are not cruelty-free because they contain artificial food coloring Blue 1 Lake. This ingredient is made from petroleum but is often tested on animals to ensure it’s safe for human consumption.

The company hasn’t released any statement about its animal testing policies, so we can assume that they do test on animals when required by law.

So, not only is Blue Takis not vegan, but it’s also not cruelty-free. If you’re looking for a snack that’s both vegan and cruelty-free, look elsewhere.

What Are Blue Takis Made Of?

Here are the ingredients of Blue Takis:

Corn masa flour (processed with lime)
Vegetable oil (palm and/or soybean and/or canola oils)

Seasoning

Maltodextrin
Citric acid
Sugar
Potassium chloride
Salt
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Natural and artificial flavors
Hydrolyzed yeast
Soybean oil
Onion powder
Blue 1 Lake
Sodium bicarbonate
Chili pepper (chile)
Pepper (chile)
Disodium inosinate
Disodium guanylate
TBHQ (Antioxidant)

Let’s break down each ingredient of Blue Takis:

Corn masa flour (processed with lime)

Corn masa flour is flour made from ground corn. It’s often used in tortillas and tamales. The lime is used to treat the flour and make it more absorbent. It is a vegan ingredient.

Vegetable oil (palm and/or soybean and/or canola oils)

Vegetable oil is an umbrella term for any oil that comes from plants. There are many different types of vegetable oils, but the most common ones are palm, soybean, and canola.

Palm oil is a controversial ingredient because of the way it’s produced. The harvesting of palm oil often results in the destruction of rainforests and the displacement of indigenous people. Barcel has not provided any information about the sourcing of their palm oil.

Soybean and canola oils are not controversial ingredients, and they are widely used by vegans.

Seasoning

Blue Takis are seasoned with a variety of ingredients. These ingredients give the chips their flavor. Here’s what’s inside Blue Takis seasoning:

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate derived from starch. It’s often used as a thickening agent or to add bulk to food. Maltodextrin is a vegan ingredient.

Citric acid

Citric acid is a sour-tasting compound found in many fruits and vegetables. It can also be produced synthetically. Citric acid is a vegan ingredient.

Sugar

Sugar is a sweetener that’s made from sugar cane or sugar beets.

Sugar is another ingredient that can be problematic for vegans. While sugar itself is vegan, it’s often processed using bone char, which is derived from animal bones. Large food companies often source their sugar from multiple suppliers, so it’s difficult to know if the sugar in Blue Takis has been filtered with bone char.

Potassium chloride

Potassium chloride is a salt substitute that’s often used in food processing. It’s a vegan ingredient.

Salt

Salt is a mineral that’s composed of sodium and chloride. It’s used to add flavor to food. Salt is a vegan ingredient.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

MSG is a flavor enhancer often used in processed foods. Some people believe that MSG is harmful, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. This ingredient is vegan, but some people avoid it because of its rumored health effects.

Hydrolyzed soy protein

Hydrolyzed soybean protein is a type of MSG. It’s made by hydrolyzing, or breaking down, soybeans into their amino acids. This ingredient is vegan, but some people avoid it because of its potential health effects.

Natural and artificial flavors

Natural and artificial flavors are added to food to enhance its flavor. These ingredients can be derived from both plant and animal sources.

They can be vegan or not depending on their source. Barcel has not provided any information about the source of the flavors in Blue Takis.

Hydrolyzed yeast

Hydrolyzed yeast is a type of MSG. It’s made by hydrolyzing, or breaking down, yeast into its amino acids. This ingredient is vegan, but some people avoid it because of its potential health effects.

Soybean oil

Soybean oil is a type of vegetable oil. It’s made from the seeds of soybeans. Soybean oil is a vegan ingredient.

Onion powder

Onion powder is made from dried onions. It’s used to add flavor to food. Onion powder is a vegan ingredient.

Blue 1 Lake

Blue 1 Lake is a blue food coloring made from coal tar, which is a by-product of petroleum. It is vegan but not cruelty-free, since it is often tested on animals.

Sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, is a white powder used in baking. It’s a vegan ingredient.

Chili pepper (chile)

Chili peppers are a type of pepper used to add spice to food. Chili peppers are a vegan ingredient.

Pepper (chile)

Pepper (chile) is made from chili peppers. It’s used to add spice to food. Pepper is a vegan ingredient.

Disodium inosinate

Disodium inosinate is a flavor enhancer that’s often used in processed foods. This ingredient is often sourced from animals but can sometimes be derived from plants. It is not vegan because it is generally sourced from animals.

Disodium guanylate

Just like disodium inosinate,disodium guanylate is a flavor enhancer often used in processed foods. This ingredient can be sourced from both animals and plants. It is not vegan because it is generally sourced from animals.

TBHQ (antioxidant)

TBHQ is a preservative often used in processed foods. It’s derived from petroleum, but it can also be derived from plants. This ingredient is vegan-friendly.

Why Aren’t Blue Takis Vegan?

Blue Takis may not have the usual vegan suspects like honey, milk, or eggs, but they do have a few ingredients that may not be vegan friendly. These include refined sugar, which is often processed using bone char, natural and artificial flavors, which can be derived from both plant and animal sources, and disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are generally sourced from animals.

While Blue Takis do have some vegan-friendly ingredients, they’re not entirely vegan.