Are Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Vegan and Cruelty-Free? The Bitter Truth

August 7, 2023

Trying to figure out whether Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are safe for vegans to consume can be a bit tough.

Chip manufacturers often mask their ingredients behind vague terms such as “natural flavors,” and even if PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division does provide a full list of what goes into its Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, it’s not always clear whether these ingredients are vegan friendly or not.

To ensure that you’re only eating food that aligns with your vegan diet and ethics, I’ve looked into the ingredients and production processes of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos.

Here’s what I found.

Are Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Vegan?

No. Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are not vegan.

Doritos is a well-known brand of chips that are produced by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. The company offers a wide variety of flavors and Spicy Sweet Chili is one of them.

This flavor features a combination of sweet and spicy chili pepper spices on top of the usual corn tortilla chip. Surprisingly, this flavor is advertised as vegan. Unfortunately for vegans, Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili contains refined sugar.

Sugar is naturally vegan, but the sugar industry widely uses bone char, a non-vegan product. Bone-char is a black, porous substance made from the bones of animals that is used to filter and bleach sugars to make them white.

Unless the sugar included is labeled “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” there’s a good chance that it has been filtered with bone char.

Are Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos Cruelty-Free?

Yes! Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili are cruelty-free.

Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili are not tested on animals at any point in their production nor do they contain ingredients that have been tested on animals, such as artificial colors.

PepsiCo also has humane animal welfare policies that it follows for all of its brands, including Frito-Lay.

Animal testing is a gruesome and outdated practice that only harms, or worse, kills animals. There surely are alternatives to ensuring that products are safe for consumption without harming animals in the process.

Thankfully, more and more companies have been ditching animal testing in favor of more animal-friendly methods.

What Is Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Made Of?

Here are the ingredients of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos:

  • Corn
  • Vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or sunflower oil)
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • Fructose
  • Sodium diacetate
  • Soy sauce (soybean, wheat, salt)
  • Onion powder
  • Maltodextrin (made from corn)
  • Hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Hydrolyzed corn protein
  • Garlic powder
  • Torula yeast
  • Malic acid
  • Extractives of paprika
  • Spices
  • Caramel color
  • Disodium inosinate
  • Disodium guanylate
  • Dextrose
  • Natural flavor

Let’s break down each ingredient of Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili:

Corn

Corn is a plant that is used to make many food items, including tortilla chips. It’s a vegan-friendly ingredient.

Vegetable oil

Vegetable oils are typically plant based and thus vegan. The type of vegetable oil used in Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili is either corn oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.

Salt

Salt is a vegan ingredient that is used to add flavor.

Sugar

Sugar is a plant-based ingredient that is often used as a sweetener in food. However, as mentioned earlier, the sugar industry widely uses bone char, so unless the sugar is labeled “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” there’s a good chance it’s not vegan.

Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate is a type of salt that is used as a flavor enhancer. It’s vegan friendly.

Fructose

Fructose is a type of sugar that is derived from fruits. It’s vegan.

Sodium diacetate

Sodium diacetate is a type of salt that is used as a preservative. It’s vegan friendly.

Soy sauce

Soy sauce is a liquid condiment that is made from soybeans, wheat, and salt. It’s an ingredient that is commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is vegan.

Onion powder

Onion powder is a type of seasoning that is made from dried onions. Onion powder is a vegan ingredient.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is a white powder that is made from starch. Maltodextrin is vegan.

Hydrolyzed soy protein

Hydrolyzed soy protein is a type of soy protein that has been treated with water. It is vegan.

Hydrolyzed corn protein

Hydrolyzed corn protein is a type of corn protein that has been treated with water. It is vegan.

Garlic powder

Garlic powder is a type of seasoning that is made from dried garlic. Garlic powder is a vegan ingredient.

Torula yeast

Torula yeast is a type of yeast that is used as a flavoring agent. Torula yeast is vegan.

Malic acid

Malic acid is a type of fruit acid that is used as a flavoring agent. Malic acid is vegan friendly.

Extractives of paprika

Extractives of paprika are made from paprika, which is a type of pepper. Extractives of paprika are vegan friendly.

Spices

Spices are plant-based ingredients that are used to add flavor. Spices are vegan.

Caramel color

Caramel color is a type of food coloring that is made from caramelized sugar. Caramel color is vegan friendly.

Disodium inosinate

Disodium inosinate is a type of salt that is used as a flavor enhancer. Disodium inosinate is not vegan because it is derived from animals.

Disodium guanylate

Disodium guanylate is a type of salt that is used as a flavor enhancer. Disodium guanylate is not vegan because it comes from animals.

Dextrose

Dextrose is a type of sugar that is derived from corn. Dextrose is vegan friendly.

Natural flavor

Natural flavors are made from natural ingredients from plants and animal-derived products. Natural flavors are not always vegan.

Why Aren’t Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Vegan?

Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are not vegan because they contain refined sugar. Sugar is technically vegan, but it is often processed with bone char, which is not vegan. While the other ingredients in Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili are vegan, the presence of non-vegan sugar means that the chips are not suitable for a vegan diet.

Are Spicy Nacho Doritos Vegan?

No. Spicy Nacho Doritos are not vegan. They contain dairy products, such as whey, buttermilk, and romano cheese.

These toasted corn tortilla chips are not safe for vegan consumption.

Are Salsa Verde Doritos Vegan?

No. Salsa Verde Doritos are not vegan. They contain natural chicken flavor.

These hot salsa chips are not safe for vegan consumption.

Are Nacho Cheese Doritos Vegan?

No. Nacho Cheese Doritos are not vegan. Nacho Cheese Doritos contain dairy products, such as whey, whey protein concentrate, buttermilk, skim milk, and romano cheese and cheddar cheese.

These nacho cheese chips are not safe for vegan consumption.

Are Flamin’ Hot Limon Doritos Vegan?

No. Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limon Tortilla Chips are not vegan. They contain dairy products, such as whey, buttermilk, and romano cheese.

These tortilla chips are not safe for vegan consumption.

Are Cool Ranch Doritos Vegan?

No. Doritos Cool Ranch Tortilla Chips are not vegan. They contain dairy products, such as whey, buttermilk, and cheddar cheese.

These tortilla chips are not safe for vegan consumption.

Vegan Alternatives to Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips

Doritos may not be vegan, but there are plenty of vegan alternatives to Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips. If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly tortilla chip, try one of these brands:

These vegan chips will surely satisfy your cravings! These brands offer a variety of flavors that are also vegan friendly. So, if you’re looking for a delicious vegan alternative to Doritos, try one of these.

Final Words

So, there you have it! Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are not vegan. These chips contain refined sugar, which is likely processed with bone char. 

However, there are plenty of vegan-friendly Doritos alternatives on the market. So, if you’re looking for a delicious and vegan-friendly tortilla chip, try one of the brands I listed above. You won’t be disappointed!