Funyuns are crispy, salty snacks that are onion flavored. They are wildly popular, and many who are gluten free often wonder if Funyuns are gluten free. Let's dive in and look at the facts.
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What Are Funyuns?
Funyuns are a snack food that mimics onion rings. They are made by the Frito Lay Company. They are crunchy and fun to eat. Funyuns come in two different flavors, Original Plain and Flamin' Hot.
Funyuns often amuses me because the company goes out of its way to make them look just like onion rings, but there is no real onion in this snack.
Check out all of my research on my snack list.
Answer: Are Funyuns Gluten Free?
The answer, like many of the brand's "no gluten ingredient" products, is that it depends. According to the Frito Lay website's allergen list, the only allergen listed in Funyuns is milk. I list the ingredients below, and you can see there are no gluten products used in making this gluten free snack.
Funyuns Ingredients:
Remember, when you read an ingredient list by a manufacturer, they list products from the highest concentration to the least. It is always best to read the product's food label to look for hidden gluten ingredients.
- Enriched Corn Meal
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil)
- Salt
- Corn Starch
- Sugar
- Corn Flour
- Buttermilk
- Maltodextrin (Made from corn)
- Onion Powder
- MSG
- Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
- Dextrose
- Garlic Powder
- Natural Flavors
- Gum Arabic
Where the big problem lies is in the fact that Funyuns are made on shared equipment with wheat snacks. Frito Lay claims the equipment is cleaned between runs, but the company does not test any of their "no gluten ingredient" snacks for gluten ingredients. Frito Lay is careful to not to make any gluten claims.
If you have Celiac Disease, I would say there is a lot of risk in eating this snack food. It probably depends on your symptoms and sensitivity level for those with gluten intolerance.
Also, check Are Pringles Gluten Free.
Gluten Free Onion Snack Alternatives:
If you love crunchy onion snacks, I have good news there are two delicious gluten free alternatives that you can substitute for Funyuns! These snacks are great options that are full of onion flavor!
- Vidalia Baked Onion Petals are certified gluten free. They come in plain onion and sour cream flavors.
- Cosmos Creations Sweet Maui Onion Rings Sour Cream and Onion Rings are also gluten free.
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