For vegan shopping, plain crisps with a short ingredients list can be a good starting point, as long as you check the recipe on the pack you buy. The absence of declared animal ingredients does not guarantee vegan certification or mean there are no allergens or traces. If you need to avoid a specific allergen, check the relevant precautionary statements too.
You need to distinguish between ingredients in the recipe and precautionary statements about traces of your allergen. The French Ministry of the Economy explains that allergens included in the ingredients must be highlighted. The Vico and Auchan products mentioned below show why you should also read the precautions on the specific pack.
You’re looking for an easy-to-check ingredients list, such as potatoes, oil and salt. The ingredients published by E.Leclerc for some plain crisps are a good starting point, but they don’t in themselves confirm vegan certification or the absence of allergens.
You want to compare salt content while still considering animal ingredients and allergens. E.Leclerc lists a Pom’Lisse product with no added salt, but you should still check its label.
When shopping vegan, start with the factor that will determine your purchase: a specific allergen, the recipe’s ingredients or the salt content. A product may meet one of these needs without meeting the others.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and traces | Look for your allergen among the highlighted ingredients, then check the pack for statements such as ‘may contain’ or ‘traces may be present’. | If I need to avoid milk or peanuts, a recipe with no declared animal ingredients isn’t enough: any stated traces matter too. Around 50% of consumers put avoiding their allergen first. |
| Animal ingredients | Read the ingredients for each recipe, particularly for milk, cream, butter or whey. Don’t assume the ingredients in a plain version are the same as in another flavour. | For my vegan shopping, I want to be able to rule out recipes containing dairy ingredients, even if the brand also offers plain crisps. Around 30% of consumers prioritise the absence of declared animal ingredients. |
| Salt | Compare the ‘salt’ entry in the nutrition information per 100 g, then check the ingredients and allergens separately. | When salt is a deciding factor, I want to distinguish a recipe with no added salt from a salted version without overlooking my other criteria. Around 20% of consumers prioritise salt content. |
These terms don’t tell you about every possible allergen or trace. Vico, for example, gives precautionary warnings about milk and peanuts on some plain products. For one organic product, Auchan mentions possible traces of cereals containing gluten, milk, celery and mustard.
Identify the allergen you need to avoid, then read the ingredients and precautionary statements on the exact pack.
Vico La Gourmande contains dairy ingredients, unlike the ingredients lists published for some plain Vico products. Carrefour’s product information for Pringles Sour Cream & Onion also lists several dairy ingredients.
Check each flavour and recipe separately rather than relying on the brand name alone.
This statement relates to the recipe and its salt content; it doesn’t confirm that there are no traces or that the product is vegan-certified.
Check the ingredients and any relevant allergens first, then compare the salt content if that matters to you too.
The range includes plain and flavoured potato crisps, with different ingredients in each recipe.
Lay's France lists several potato crisp recipes, including Nature and Cuites au Four Nature.
Original and Sour Cream & Onion have different ingredients.
E.Leclerc lists ECO+ and Pom’Lisse plain crisps, including a Pom’Lisse recipe with no added salt.
Auchan’s own-brand range includes plain and organic crisps.
This selection includes cassava crisps, sweet potato crisps, salted banana crisps and a Veggie recipe. For vegan shopping, first choose the type of recipe you’re looking for, then check the pack for ingredients and information about any allergen you need to avoid.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for cassava crisps for vegan shopping. The pack size listed is 57 g. Check the ingredients and any trace warnings on the pack before deciding whether it meets your needs.
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This is an option if you’re looking for sweet potato rather than potato crisps. The pack size listed is 70 g. Check the ingredients and any allergen warnings before buying it as part of a vegan shop.
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Consider these if you’re looking for salted banana crisps; the pack size listed is 250 g. The product information warns of possible traces of several allergens, including wheat, peanuts, soya and sesame. Compare these warnings with the pack label and the allergen you need to avoid.
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This product may suit you if you’d like to check a Veggie recipe for vegan shopping. The pack size listed is 57 g. Check the ingredients list and any trace warnings on the pack; don’t assume from the name that it’s allergen-free.
No. A recipe with no declared animal ingredients may still contain other allergens or carry a trace warning. For a specific product, read the ingredients and precautions on the pack. Vico and Auchan include such warnings on some of the crisps featured here.
No. Auchan’s product information for Pringles Original lists wheat flour. Even if a plain recipe doesn’t list any cereals containing gluten, check for possible trace warnings and read the pack before choosing it on this basis.
This precautionary statement doesn’t mean that milk is an ingredient in the recipe; it flags a possible presence that you should consider separately. If you need to avoid milk, don’t take the statement as a guarantee that the product is milk-free. Check the pack in question.
Yes. Auchan says the ingredients in its plain crisps may vary depending on the online grocery service and purchase date. When choosing between two products or checking for an allergen, rely on the information on the product you’re buying.