Whenever you think of potato chips, you probably think about shiny bags that are about half filled with air! But one brand of chips has become famous for thoroughly filling up their containers - Pringles!
The stacked potato chips are famous for their crunchy texture, unique tube-shaped container, and mustached mascot. Though Pringles will never give you a tube of air, how friendly is it for those on a gluten-free diet? Are Pringles gluten-free?
Jump to:
What Are Pringles?
Pringles are a brand of potato "crisps" that are specially shaped so they can be stacked on top of one another. They are packaged into tubes or small stack cups. Thanks to their stackability, Pringles has become well known for their crunchiness and ability to maintain their shape.
As the brand has grown, so have its flavors. In the U.S., Pringles has 25 flavors, but internationally they have many more unique flavors. The two most popular flavors in America are Original and Cheddar Cheese.
Don't forget to check out my other snack foods list for research to see which snacks are gluten free.
Answer: Are Pringles Gluten Free?
No, Pringles are not gluten-free. That may be surprising to find out, but Pringles have gluten! Though they seem like any potato chip, all Pringles flavors and variations contain wheat starch with gluten. The wheat is likely used to give them their thicker and firmer texture.
Interestingly, wheat starch is safe for those with Celiac disease if it contains less than 20ppm of gluten, but this ingredient still affects many. The FDA allows some foods with wheat starch to be labeled gluten-free, but only as long as the starch has its gluten removed.
In other words, the FDA considers wheat starch a gluten-removed product, but the final product has to test under 20ppm. If the wheat starch has less than 20 ppm of gluten, the FDA will allow the product to be labeled gluten-free.
However, Pringles does not follow this removal process, so it is not safe for those with Celiac disease to consume.
Pringles states on its website that all of its products contain wheat, so there are no gluten-free Pringles products. This includes products like Pringles Stix and Pringles Loud as well. Though Pringles are not safe for those with gluten allergies, many other potato chips are gluten-free. Check the ingredients labels to check if your favorite chips brand has gluten.
If you truly love Pringles, you can try this DIY Pringles recipe.
Pringles Ingredients:
Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, High Oleic Soybean, and or Sunflower Oil), Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Cornstarch, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Mono- and Diglycerides, Salt, and Wheat Starch.
Check out Are Ruffles Gluten Free and Are Funyuns Gluten Free to learn about other chip brands.
Are Pringles Chips?
Kind of. Pringles are made from "dehydrated processed potato" rather than an actual potato like other potato chips. The U.S. government said that since Pringles aren't directly made from potatoes, Pringles are not chips. So instead, in the U.S., Pringles are considered potato "crisps."
In the U.K., chips are already called crisps, so the regulation is slightly different. The U.K. court ruled that Pringles are indeed crisps (or chips in the U.S.) since their main ingredient is still derived from potatoes. Depending on your definition of a potato chip, Pringles may or may not be a chip.
If you love to snack, be sure to see Is Beef Jerky Gluten Free for more information.
See if Doritos are gluten free if you love snacking on chips.
Gluten Free Potato Chip Alternatives:
Though Pringles are not safe for those with gluten allergies, many other potato chips are gluten-free. Check the ingredients labels to check if your favorite chips brand has gluten.
- Lay's Stax Original
- Good Crisp Company (gluten free copycat for Pringles)
- Cape Cod Classic
- Lay's Classic and Simply Lay's
- Luke's Organic
- Maui Style
- Ruffles Chips
- Boulder Canyon
- Kettle Brand Potato Chips
- Late July brand
- Uglies Potato Chips
IN SUMMARY…
Pringles are not gluten-free. All of their products contain wheat starch. Wheat starch can be considered gluten-free if processed, but Pringles does not remove gluten from its wheat starch. If you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease, I recommend staying away from Pringles.
If you love the recipes you find on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free lemon dessert e-cookbook!)
Leave a Reply