Trying to work out whether Funyuns are vegan friendly can be a bit tough.
Snack brands often mask their ingredients behind vague terms such as “natural flavors,” and even when they do provide a full list of ingredients, it can be difficult to determine which ones are vegan friendly.
To make sure that you’re only consuming food that aligns with your vegan diet and lifestyle, I’ve investigated the ingredients and production process of Funyuns.
Here’s what I found out.
Is Funyuns Vegan?
No. Funyuns are not vegan.
Funyuns are a type of onion ring corn snack, made by Frito-Lay. They are coated in a batter that contains milk products, such as buttermilk and refined sugar. This means that Funyuns are not suitable for vegans, or for people who have dairy allergies.
Buttermilk, whey, cheddar cheese, and milk are Funyuns snacks’ main non-vegan ingredients. These milk products are often used in savory snack foods to add a rich, creamy flavor.
Then there’s sugar. Sugar can be made from either sugarcane or sugar beets—both of which are plant-based. However, many commercial refined sugar brands use bone char (animal bones that have been charred) in their filtering and bleaching process. Unless the sugar is labeled as “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” it is probably not vegan.
Are Funyuns Cruelty-Free?
Yes and no. Funyuns have both non-cruelty-free and cruelty-free products.
Funyuns have only two flavors: Original and Hot flavored Onion Rings, and while both are not tested on animals at any point of their production, Hot Flavored Onion Rings contain artificial colors that are routinely tested on animals.
Animal testing is a cruel and outdated practice that needs to be stopped because it subjects innocent animals to often painful and deadly experiments to ensure the safety of a product for human use.
There are alternative methods available that don’t involve the use of animals, so there is no excuse for companies to continue testing on them.
What Are Funyuns Made Of?
Here are the ingredients of Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings:
- Enriched cornmeal (cornmeal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Vegetable oil (corn oil, and/or canola oil, and/or sunflower oil)
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Sugar
- Corn flour
- Buttermilk
- Maltodextrin (made from corn)
- Onion powder
- Monosodium glutamate
- Hydrolyzed corn protein
- Dextrose
- Garlic powder
- Natural flavors
- Gum arabic
Let’s break down each ingredient of Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings:
Enriched cornmeal
Enriched cornmeal is a type of flour that is made by grinding down dried corn kernels. It is a common ingredient in many processed foods because it is relatively cheap and has a long shelf life. Cornmeal is vegan friendly.
The enriched cornmeal used in Funyuns contains several added vitamins, including ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins are vegan friendly.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil is a plant-based ingredient that is commonly used in processed foods. Funyuns contain corn oil, and/or canola oil, and/or sunflower oil as their source of vegetable oil. All of these oils are vegan friendly.
Salt
Salt is a mineral that is a vegan-friendly ingredient used to add flavor and as a preservative.
Corn starch
Cornstarch is a type of flour that is made from the endosperm of the corn kernel. It is commonly used as a thickening agent in processed foods. Cornstarch is vegan friendly.
Sugar
The sugar used in Funyuns is probably not vegan. It is most likely processed with bone char. Unless sugar is labeled as “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” it is probably not vegan.
Corn flour
Corn flour is a type of flour that is made by grinding down dried corn kernels. It is a common ingredient in many processed foods because it is relatively cheap and has a long shelf life. Corn flour is vegan friendly.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a dairy product that is made by adding bacteria to milk. It is commonly used in processed foods because it adds a rich, creamy flavor. Buttermilk is not vegan friendly.
Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a type of sugar made from corn. It is commonly used as a thickening agent or filler in processed foods. Maltodextrin is vegan friendly.
Onion powder
Onion powder is a type of seasoning that is made from dried onions. It is commonly used to add flavor to processed foods. Onion powder is vegan friendly.
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a type of salt that is used to add flavor to processed foods. MSG is vegan friendly.
Hydrolyzed corn protein
Hydrolyzed corn protein is a type of protein made from corn. It is commonly used as a flavor enhancer or preservative in processed foods. Hydrolyzed corn protein is vegan friendly.
Dextrose
Dextrose is a type of sugar that is used as a sweetener or filler in processed foods. Dextrose is commonly made from corn, which would make it vegan if it weren’t also commonly filtered with bone char.
Dextrose is likely safe for vegans to consume, but if you’re a strict vegan, you may want to avoid it or further research it.
Garlic powder
Garlic powder is a type of seasoning made from dried garlic. It is commonly used to add flavor to processed foods. Garlic powder is vegan friendly.
Natural flavors
Natural flavors are a type of flavoring made from natural sources. They can be either vegan or non-vegan depending on how they are sourced.
Gum arabic
Gum arabic is a type of resin that is used as a thickening agent or stabilizer in processed foods. Gum arabic is vegan friendly.
Why Aren’t Funyuns Vegan?
Funyuns are not vegan friendly because these snacks contain refined sugar, milk, and milk derivatives, such as whey, cheddar cheese, and buttermilk. Milk and milk products come from animals and are not vegan. The sugar used is most likely not vegan because of the bone char used in its processing.
Are Flamin’ Hot Funyuns Vegan?
No. Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Rings contain sugar, buttermilk, whey, skim milk, and cheddar cheese.
This snack is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Chips Vegan?
No. Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Chips contain refined sugar.
This snack is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips Vegan?
No. Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips contain buttermilk, whey, whey protein concentrate, and skim milk.
This snack is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Munchies Flamin’ Hot Snack Mix Vegan?
No. Munchies Flamin’ Hot Snack Mix contains cheddar cheese, buttermilk, whey, whey protein concentrate, and skim milk.
This snack is not safe for vegan consumption.
Vegan Alternatives to Funyuns
These chips may not be vegan, but there are plenty of other chips that are! Here are some of my favorite vegan chips that you should try the next time you’re in the mood for a snack:
- Cosmos Creations Sour Cream & Onion Rings
- Foods Alive Good ‘N Hearty Onion Ring Clusters
- Raw Food Central Onion Rings, Curt’s Classic
If you’re feeling adventurous, you could always make your own vegan onion rings at home! Here are some promising vegan onion rings recipes:
- Healthy Vegan Onion Rings by From My Bowl
- Crispy Vegan Onion Rings With Sriracha Mayo by World of Vegan
- Vegan Onion Rings by Elephantastic Vegan
With these delicious vegan alternatives, you’ll never have to miss out on the flavor of Funyuns again! Try some of these delicious vegan alternatives the next time you’re in the mood for a snack.
Final Words
So there you have it! Funyuns are not vegan because they contain many non-vegan ingredients, such as milk, its derivatives (whey, buttermilk, and cheese), and refined sugar.
However, there are plenty of other delicious vegan onion ring products that you can try instead. So next time you’re in the mood for a snack, reach for one of these vegan-friendly options! Enjoy!