There are potentially vegan potato chips and corn chips in most supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan. There are ingredients like amino acids, protein hydrolyzate, emulsifiers, or flavorings where it is not clear if those ingredients are animal or plant-derived. Particularly, protein hydrolyzate in foods in Japan seems to quite often be of animal origin.
Below are some examples.
POTATO CHIPS
• Calbee Crisp & Lightly Salted Potato Chips/カルビー ポテトチップスクリスプ うすしお味. Ingredients: Dehydrated potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, dextrin, salt, cornstarch/emulsifier, seasoning (amino acids etc.), flavoring.
Photos from website.
You might still see the previous version for sale online.
• Calbee Crisp & Lightly Salted Potato Chips/カルビー ポテトチップスクリスプ うすしお味. Ingredients: Dehydrated potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, dextrin, salt, cornstarch/emulsifier, seasoning (amino acids etc.), flavoring.
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
The following product is lightly salted potato sticks.
• Calbee Lightly Salted Jagabee/Jagabee（じゃがビー）うすしお味. Ingredients: Potato (America), vegetable oil, salt, corn starch, kombu seaweed extract powder, yeast extract powder/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin C).
Made on the same equipment as items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Photos taken in June 2021.
The following product no longer appears to be on the Calbee website, but you may be able to find it for purchase online.
• Calbee Lightly Salted Potato Chips/カルビー ポテトチップスうすしお. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, kombu seaweed extract powder, dextrin/seasoning (amino acids, etc.).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
• Calbee Salted Jagged Potato Chips/カルビー ポテトチップスギザギザ味わいしおしお味.
This product’s ingredient list has changed and the version in stores contains scallop extract powder/ほたてエキスパウダー, so is not vegan.
They are fried with palm oil and rice oil and made on common manufacturing equipment with products containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
The previous ingredient list was: Ingredients: Potato (non-genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt (54% Sicilian rock salt, 44% Australian sea salt), dextrin, yeast extract, spice, sugar, onion powder, flavoring (contains soy), seasoning (amino acid, etc.). Photo from Calbee’s website.
The following product no longer appears to be on the Calbee website, but you may be able to find it for purchase online.
• Calbee Salted Laver Potato Chips/カルビー ポテトチップスのりしお. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), palm oil, rice oil, salt, nori, red pepper, sesame oil/seasoning (amino acids, etc.). (Product contains sesame.)
Processed on the same equipment as items containing eggs, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
There is also a sentence saying the nori is harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori: 本品で使用している青のりは、えびやかにが混ざる漁法で採取しています。
The following product no longer appears to be on the Calbee website, but you may be able to find it for purchase online.
• Calbee Spring Potato Chips, Sweet and Salty/カルビー 春ぽてと あま旨塩味. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified) (100% from Hokkaido), vegetable oil, fructose, salt, corn starch, reduced starch syrup, dextrin, kombu extract powder, protein hydrolyzate (contains soybeans) / seasoning (amino acids, etc.), flavoring.
Product contains soybeans.
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
These are potentially vegan. Since protein hydrolyzate can be made from animal or plant sources, it’s unclear whether only soy/vegetable protein hydrolyzate was used to make these chips.
Photo from website.
• Calbee Kataage Potato Lightly Salted/カルビー 堅あげポテトうすしお味. Ingredients: Potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, cornstarch, kombu extract powder/seasoning (amino acid etc.), antioxidant (vitamin C).
Processed on the same equipment as items containing eggs, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
The previous version of this flavor, still sold at least online, had skipjack tuna extract powder/かつおエキスパウダー, and was not vegan, so be sure to check the label before you buy to be sure you have the right version.
Also comes in small 4-packs. The ingredients and allergen warnings are the same.
The other flavors of the strongly fried potato chips/堅あげポテト are not vegan. For example, the black pepper has flavored oil derived from pork and the salted laver (norishio) has protein hydrolyzate derived from chicken and pork.
Calbee’s Eat Veggies, Salad Flavored/カルビー ベジたべる may be vegan. They are mixed green, red and yellow vegetable snacks.The label does not state the source of the vitamin E.
• Calbee Eat Veggies, Salad Flavored/カルビー ベジたべる. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, starch, spinach, kabocha squash, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper paste, carrot, bell pepper, sugar, kabocha squash powder, tomato paste, salt, glucose, powdered soy sauce (contains wheat), dextrin, red beet powder, powdered vinegar, yeast extract powder, kombu seaweed extract powder, mushroom extract powder/trehalose, calcium carbonate, seasonings (amino acids, etc.), acidity regulator, antioxidant (vitamin E).
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Manufactured on the same equipment as items containing egg, dairy, shrimp, and crab.
It’s also available in a small four-pack.
• Calbee Eat Veggies, Salad Flavored/カルビー ベジたべる ミニ4.
• Calbee Thin Potato/カルビーシンポテト. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), sunflower oil, dextrin, salt, cornstarch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin C).
Uses 100% sunflower oil.
Manufactured on the same equipment as items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Photo from website.
These Family Mart Collection Potato Sticks, Lightly Salted are made by Calbee and sold in Family Mart convenience stores. Photos taken in June 2021.
• Family Mart Collection Potato Sticks, Lightly Salted/ファミリーマート じゃかスティックあっさりうま塩味. Ingredients: Potato powder (produced in Germany), vegetable oil, starch, wheat flour, salt, kombu seaweed extract powder, dextrin, sugar/processed starch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), calcium carbonate, antioxidant (vitamin C).
Product contains wheat.
Manufactured on common equipment with products containing shrimp, crab, egg, and dairy.
The photos of the Family Mart Savory Nori and Salt Potato Chips were taken in May 2021. There is a sentence saying the nori and sea lettuce are harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori and sea lettuce.
• Family Mart Potato Chips Savory Nori and Salt/ファミリーマート ポテトチップス濃いめのり塩. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestic; not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, nori, sea lettuce, red chili pepper/seasoning (amino acids, etc.).
Of the specified allergens, manufactured in a factory that handles products containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and dairy.
Made by Kokeiya.
The following photos of the Family Mart Thick Wavy Potato Chips were taken in May 2021. The product uses 100% sun-dried salt.
• Family Mart Thick Wavy Potato Chips/波型厚切りポテトチップス うましお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestic or American), vegetable oil, salt, dextrin, yeast extract powder/seasoning (amino acids, etc.).
Made on the same equipment as products containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and dairy.
Made by Calbee.
These photos of the Family Mart Thick Wavy Salt & Seaweed Potato Chips were also taken in May 2021. There is a sentence on the package saying the seaweed (for the toasted seaweed) is harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the seaweed.
• Family Mart Thick Wavy Salt & Seaweed Potato Chips/波型厚切りポテトチップス のりしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestic or American), vegetable oil, dextrin, salt, toasted seaweed, starch/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), flavoring.
Made on the same equipment as products containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and dairy.
Made by Calbee.
According to the Fukagawa Oil & Fat Company, Ltd., website, the following two products are no longer being sold (in stores), but you may be able to find them for purchase online.
• Fukagawa Oil & Fat Company, Ltd. Lightly Salted Chemical Seasoning & Additive-free Potato Chips/深川油脂工業 化学調味料無添加ポテトチップスうす塩味. Ingredients: Domestically produced non-gmo potatoes, vegetable oil, salt.
Made in same factory as products containing wheat, milk, shrimp, crab, and egg.
Made with 100% baked salt from Okhotsk, Russia.
• Fukagawa Oil & Fat Company, Ltd. Hokkaido Potato Chips, Salt Taste/深川油脂工業 北海道ポテトチップス うす塩味. Ingredients: Domestically produced non-gmo potatoes, vegetable oil, salt.
Products containing dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab are also produced in the same factory.
• Hula’s American Lightly Salted Potato Chips/フラ印 アメリカンポテトチップス うすしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, kombu seaweed extract powder, dextrin, seasoning (amino acids etc.)
Made using an “American potato chip method.” Product does not contain any of the top 27 allergens. However, it’s manufactured on the same equipment with items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
• Hula’s American Laver Potato Chips/フラ印 アメリカンポテトチップス のり塩味. Ingredients: Potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil (including sesame), salt, green laver, red pepper, seasoning (amino acids etc.). Product contains sesame.
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Made using an “American potato chip method.”
Photo from website.
The front of the package of both of these flavors of Hunter’s Gourmet Hand Cooked Potato Chips in Pink Salt and Black Truffle flavors say “vegan” in English.
Of the 7 specified allergens, items containing peanuts, wheat, and dairy are manufactured in the same factory.
Black Truffle flavor: Ingredients: Potatoes, vegetable oil, seasoning (maltodextrin, salt, sugar)/flavoring.
Of the 7 specified allergens, items containing peanuts, wheat, and dairy are manufactured in the same factory.
Photos taken in a branch of NewDays convenience store in May 2021.
• Kokeiya Hashed Potato, Lightly Salted/湖池屋 ハッシュドポテトうすしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (Japan, not genetically modified), vegetable oil, dextrin, salt, dietary fiber, glucose, yeast extract powder, starch, kombu seaweed, thickener (pullulan), seasoning (amino acids, etc.), flavoring.
Does not contain any of the 27 allergenic substances.
Out of the specified allergens/特定原材料, the factory also processes items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
• Kokeiya Lightly Salted Potato Chips/湖池屋 ポテトチップス うすしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (grown in Japan and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, dextrin/seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Contains none of the top 27 allergens. However, out of the top seven allergens, items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab are processed in the same factory.
The salted Kokeiya Pure Potato chips/オホーツクの塩と岩塩の合わせ塩 are not vegan because according to the ingredient list, the hydrolyzed protein in them is derived from chicken, たんぱく加水分解物(鶏肉を含む).
• Kokeiya Salted Laver Potato Chips/湖池屋 ポテトチップス のり塩. Ingredients: Potato (Japan: not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, nori seaweed, sea lettuce, spices, yeast extract powder/seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing: eggs, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab.
Photo from website.
• Kokeiya Stick Potato, Nori Seaweed and Salt/コケイヤ ステイックポテトのり塩. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, green laver seaweed, sea lettuce, red pepper, seasonings (amino acids, etc).
Contains none of the top 27 allergens.
This product is made in a plant that also processes items including egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab (of the top 7 allergens).
There is also a sentence saying the nori and sea lettuce are harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori and sea lettuce.
• Kokeiya Stick Potato, Nori Seaweed and Salt, 4 pc./コケイヤ ステイックポテトのり塩４連. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, green laver seaweed, sea lettuce, red pepper, seasonings (amino acids, etc).
Contains none of the top 27 allergens.
This product is made in a plant that also processes items including egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab (of the top 7 allergens).
There is also a sentence saying the nori and sea lettuce are harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori and sea lettuce.
• Kokeiya Stick Potato Super Mucho, Refreshing Plum/湖池屋 すっぱムーチョチップス さっぱり梅味. Ingredients: Potato (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, sugar, glucose, plum vinegar powder, salt, powdered vinegar, powdered soy sauce (Includes wheat and soybeans), plum seasoning powder, sea lettuce, oligosaccharide/seasoning (amino acids etc.), acidulant, sweetener (stevia), flavoring, anthocyanin pigment. (Product includes wheat and soybeans.)
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing the following of the top 7 allergens: eggs, milk, shrimp, crab.
There is also a sentence saying the sea lettuce is harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the sea lettuce.
Slightly sour potato sticks with the flavor of Japanese plum.
In 2021, the company stated that the seasoning (amino acids, etc.)/調味料（アミノ酸等) for the Kokeiya Super Mucho Chips, Refreshing Plum are not of animal origin.
• Kokeiya Super Mucho Chips, Refreshing Plum/湖池屋 すっぱムーチョチップス さっぱり梅味. Ingredients: Potato (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, sugar, glucose, plum vinegar powder, salt, powdered vinegar, powdered soy sauce (includes wheat and soybeans), plum seasoning powder, sea lettuce, oligosaccharide/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), acidulant, sweetener (stevia), flavoring, anthocyanin pigment.
Product includes wheat and soybeans.
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing the following of the top 7 allergens: eggs, milk, shrimp, crab.
There is also a sentence saying the sea lettuce is harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the sea lettuce.
Slightly sour chips with the flavor of Japanese plum.
Photos from website.
The photos of the Potato Chips Lightly Salted Flavor were taken in May 2021 in a branch of Lawson convenience store. Made with four kinds of salt: Australian sun-dried salt, American rock salt, Sicilian rock salt, and sea salt from Oshima island in Japan.
• Lawson Calbee Potato Chips Lightly Salted Flavor/BIG 厚切りザクッとポテト うすしお味 130g. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, yeast extract powder, dextrin/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), flavoring.
Made on common equipment as items containing eggs, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
• Lay’s Potato Chips, Original/レイズ しお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
• Mini Stop Lightly Salted Potato Chips/Mini Stop ポテトチップスうすしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, dextrin, sugar, seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
This product is made in a plant that also processes items including egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab (of the top 7 allergens).
• Mini Stop Strong Laver & Salt Potato Chips/Mini Stop 濃いめのり塩. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, nori, sea lettuce, red pepper, seasoning (amino acids, etc.).
Out of the top 7 allergens, this product was made in the same factory as items containing five of them: egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
There is also a sentence saying the nori and sea lettuce are harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori and sea lettuce.
Both kinds of seaweeds and the salt are domestically produced. Product appears to be made in collaboration with Koikeya.
• Morinaga Seika Pringles, Delicious Salt/森永製菓 プリングルズ<うましお味>. Ingredients: Potato flakes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, corn flour (not genetically modified), wheat starch, seasoning powder (salt, sugar, maltodextrin, yeast extract, vegetable oil), maltodextrin/emulsifier, pH adjuster, seasoning (nucleic acid), flavoring.
These may be vegan. The source of the emulsifier and the nucleic acids is not listed.
Made in a factory that handles items containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and dairy.
Per an article in LiveKindly in November 2018, Morinaga has agreed to cease all animal testing not required by law.
North Colors doesn’t use palm oil. From their website (from autotranslate):
“Common frying oil is made by mixing inexpensive foreign palm oil.
Palm oil is used as edible oil, as well as margarine, shortening and soap.
The heavy use of palm oil in Japan is causing the destruction of tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia and has a serious impact on the environment.”
Their chips can be found in nicer stores such as Bio C’ Bon supermarkets or natural food stores.
• North Colors Pure, Made In-Country Potato Chips- Seaweed Salt, Lightly Salted, and Black Sesame/ノースカラーズ 純国産ポテトチップス- のり塩、うすしお、黒ごま. Ingredients (Seaweed Salt/のり塩): Hokkaido potatoes, rice oil, salt, roasted seaweed. Ingredients (Lightly Salted/うすしお): Hokkaido potatoes, rice oil, salt. Ingredients (Black Sesame/黒ごま): Hokkaido potatoes, rice oil, black sesame, salt. All ingredients produced domestically. Note that the Citron/柚子 flavor is not vegan as it contains fish powder.
Items containing milk, wheat, shrimp and crab are made in the same factory.
• North Colors Pure, Made In-Country Potato Chips, Lightly Salted with Ridges/ノースカラーズ 純国産ポテトチップス、うすしお味.Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), rice oil, salt. All ingredients domestically produced. Salt manufactured in Hokkaido.
Produced in a factory that handles items containing dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
The following flavors of the Pernes brand Long Potato Chips don’t show any animal ingredients from the ingredient lists. You might find them in import stores or in branches of Natural Lawson convenience store (not regular Lawson). Ingredient lists taken from the Pernes website (English-language links below). Photos taken in March 2021.
• Pernes Long Potato Chips, Original flavoured/ペルネス ポテトチップス、オリジナル. Ingredients: Potato flakes (48%), rapeseed oil, wheat semolina, potato starch, salt, antioxidant (rosemary extract).
• Pernes Long Potato Chips, Sea Salt & Vinegar flavoured/ペルネス ポテトチップス、シーソルト＆ビネガー. Ingredients: Potato flakes (48%), rapeseed oil, wheat semolina, potato starch, spice mix [flavouring (vinegar), salt, maltodextrine, acidity regulator (citric acid), taste enhancer (monosodium glutamate), anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide)], salt, antioxidant (rosemary extract).
The package of the Tomato flavor says they have cinnamon, but for some reason the English-language ingredient list on the website (reproduced here) instead says they contain cloves. There are some other differences between the English-language ingredient list from the website and the Japanese-language ingredient list, but they may be due to local labeling laws. There isn’t anything listed on either that can clearly be said to be of animal origin.
• Pernes Long Potato Chips, Tomato flavoured. Ingredients: Potato flakes (48%), rapeseed oil, wheat semolina, potato starch, spice mix [sugar, salt, taste enhancer (monosodium glutamate), flavoring (ketchup), herbs and spices (paprika powder, grounded cloves), rice flour, anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide), acidity regulator (citric acid), natural colouring (paprika extract)], salt, antioxidant (rosemary extract).
The Grilled Paprika flavor is not vegan as the Japanese ingredient list shows whey powder/ホエイパウダー/hoei paudā, which is from dairy.
• Producer Potato Chips, Salted/生産者限定ポテトチップス うすしお. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
Processed alongside products containing wheat, milk, egg, shrimp, and crab.
Limited edition product. Uses only potatoes from Hokkaido. Potatoes are individually checked and in some cases, hand-cut with a knife to make sure there are no green parts inside. No chemical seasoning is used.
• Ryomi 100 Sen Potato Chips, Lightly Salted/良味100選 ポテトチップスうすしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, protein hydrolyzate (contains soybeans)/seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Processed on shared equipment with items containing egg, dairy, and wheat.
These are potentially vegan. Since protein hydrolyzate can be made from animal or plant sources, it’s unclear whether only soy/vegetable protein hydrolyzate was used to make these chips.
Sold at Daily Yamazaki convenience stores.
7-11’s customer service has stated that they don’t know if their fresh products like anman and rice balls have small amounts of animal products since they are made in different locations across the country (with the exception of the salt onigiri, which is animal-ingredient free). It isn’t clear if their packaged items like chips are the same.
• 7-11 Salt Potato Chips (with salt from Ishigaki island)/7-11石垣の塩で味付け厚切りポテト. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, corn starch, yeast extract powder, kombu extract powder.
Manufactured in the same factory as items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Salt is 100% salt from Ishigaki island.
• 7-11 Lightly Salted Potato Chips/7-11 うま味広がるうましお味ポテトチップス. Ingredients: Potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, kombu seaweed extract powder, yeast extract powder/seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Manufactured in the same factory as items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Salt is 100% sea salt from Naruto, Shikoku.
The following product was found in the 100 yen aisle of a supermarket.
• Sweet Potato Chips／芋チップス. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, vegetable oils and fats (rice oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil), sugar.
Uses domestically produced Kogane-sengan sweet potato, often used in sake brewing.
The following product may be vegan, but the source of the protein hydrolyzate is not stated.
• Terra Foods Baked Potato Premium Taste/テラフーズ 焼きじゃがPREMIUM うすしお味. Ingredients: Dried potatoes (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, wheat starch (includes wheat), top-grade rice flour made with non-glutinous rice, granulated sugar, salt, protein hydrolyzate, kombu extract powder, yeast extract/modified starch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin C).
Product is processed on the same line as items containing dairy, sesame, soybean, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, crab, banana, etc.
Potato chips made without frying in oil. Ako salt from Hyogo is combined with kelp from Hokkaido for seasoning. Dried, non-gmo potatoes are used to make a dough, which is fired with far infrared rays.
Tohato Poteco, Lightly Salted and Tohato Kotsubu Poteco, Delicious Salt 4 pack may be vegan. It doesn’t say on the label what the source of the vitamin E is.
• Tohato Poteco, Lightly Salted/東ハト ポテコ・うすしお味. Ingredients: Dehydrated potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, processed starch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin E).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing: egg, dairy, wheat, peanuts, shrimp, and crab.
Ring-shaped potato snacks. 15 percent of the salt used is from Okinawa Prefecture.
Mini Stop convenience store also sells this product with its own branding on it.
• Mini Stop Tohato Poteco, Lightly Salted/東ハト ポテコ・うすしお味. Ingredients: Dehydrated potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt/processed starch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin E).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing: egg, dairy, wheat, peanuts, shrimp, and crab.
Ring-shaped potato snacks. 15 percent of the salt used is from Okinawa Prefecture.
• Tohato Kotsubu Poteco, Delicious Salt 4 pack/東ハト こつぶポテコ４連包・うましお味. Ingredients: Dried potato (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, processed starch, seasoning (amino acid etc.), antioxidant (vitamin E).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing: egg, dairy, wheat, peanuts, shrimp, and crab.
4 small packets.
• TopValu “Free From” Salted Potato Chips/トップバリュ グリーンアイ Free From 塩だけで味付けしたポテトチップス. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced), vegetable oil, salt (South Australian sea salt).
Made in the same production process as items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, squid, orange, cashew, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, pork, apple, and gelatin.
Photo from website.
• TopValu Salted Potato Chips/トップバリュ ポテトチップス しお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt, dextrin, sugar, seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Made in the same production process as items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, pork, apple, gelatin, and fish.
Photos from website. The product in both packages is the same, and it comes in small (60g) and large (160g) sizes.
• TopValu Thick-cut Salted Potato Chips/厚切りカット ポテトチップス 国産じゃがいも使用 しお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced and not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt (domestic sea salt 70%, German rock salt 30%), dextrin, sugar/seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Made in the same production process as items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, pork, apple, gelatin, and fish.
Photos from website. The product in both packages is the same, and it comes in small (65g) and large (160g) sizes.
• TopValu Salted Laver Potato Chips/トップバリュ ポテトチップスのりしお味. Ingredients: Potatoes (domestically produced), vegetable oil, salt, nori seaweed, glucose, red pepper, seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Made in the same production process as items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, pork, apple, gelatin, and fish.
• UHA Mikakuto Osatsudoki Plain/UHA 味覚糖おさつどきっ プレーン味. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, sugar, vegetable oil/antioxidant (vitamin E).
Manufactured on the same equipment as products containing milk.
• YBC Chip Star Lightly Salted/YBC チップスターうすしお味. Ingredients: Potato flakes, vegetable oil, salt/emulsifier, seasoning (amino acids etc).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
As of 2017, a blog reader reported that the company confirmed this product contains no animal ingredients, meaning the emulsifier and amino acids are not animal-based.
It’s also been reported that as of 2019, the company confirmed the emulsifier is plant-based.
• YBC Chip Star Salted Laver/YBC チップスターのりしお味. Ingredients: Potato flakes, vegetable oil, nori, salt/emulsifier, seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Manufactured on common equipment with products containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
There is also a sentence saying the nori is harvested using a fishing method where shrimp and crab are mixed together with the nori: 本品で使用している青のりは、えびやかにが混ざる漁法で採取しています。
The following product may be vegan, depending on what the hydrolyzed protein is made out of.
• YBC Chip Star Setouchi Salted Lemon/YBC チップスター瀬戸内塩レモン味．Ingredients: Potato flakes, vegetable oil, salted lemon seasoning (glucose, sugar, salt, powdered vinegar, hydrolyzed protein, lemon juice powder, kombu seaweed extract powder, vegetable oil)/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), acidulant, emulsifier, flavoring, sweetener (sucralose).
Product contains soybeans.
Manufactured on common equipment with products containing egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
CORN CHIPS
• Aeon “Free From” Unseasoned Fried Tortilla Chips/Free From 味付けしていないトルティアチップス 素揚げ. Ingredients: Corn (America), vegetable oil.
Manufactured in the same production process as items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, sesame, mackerel, salmon, soybeans, chicken, pork, apple, gelatin, and fish.
Photo from website.
• Doritos Mild Salt Tortilla Chips/ドリトス マイルドソルト味. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified) (America), vegetable oil, salt, seasoning (amino acids, etc.).
• Doritos Toasted Corn Tortilla Chips/ドリトス しお味. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
House Tongari Salted Corn Chips may be vegan.
• House Tongari Salted Corn Chips/ハウス食品 とんがりコーンあっさり塩. Ingredients: Corn grits (domestically manufactured), vegetable oil, sugar, salt, processed soy sauce, spice, powdered soy sauce/seasoning (inorganic salts, etc.), baking soda, caramel coloring, antioxidant (vitamin E).
Contains wheat and soy.
Photo from website.
The pizza flavor could also be vegan. It’s listed on House’s website as no longer being made as of January 2021, so the last of the stock may be on the market. Despite being cheese-flavored, it doesn’t show dairy on the ingredient list or as an allergen. However, in early 2021, it was reported that the company’s customer service was not able to say whether or not animal ingredients were included in this flavor as they don’t know all the ingredients (if you ask them a question, they only investigate and mention the 28 specified allergens).
• House Tongari Pizza Flavored Corn Chips/ハウス食品 とんがりコーン＜ピザ味＞. Ingredients: Corn grits (domestically manufactured), vegetable oil, pizza-flavored seasoning, sugar, salt/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), baking soda, acidulant, paprika pigment, flavoring, antioxidant (vitamin E).
Contains wheat and soy.
Photo from website.
• Mini Stop Salt Only Tortilla Chips/Mini Stop 塩のみで味付けしたトルティアチップス. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
This product is made in a plant that also processes items including egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, and crab (of the top 7 allergens).
• Jalapeno & Lime Que Pasa Tortilla Chips. Ingredients (Jalapeno & Lime): Volcanic stone ground corn*, sunflower* and/or safflower* oil, jalapeño lime seasoning* (rice flour*, cane sugar*, sea salt, lime juice powder* (maltodextrin*, lime juice*), green bell pepper powder*, onion powder*, garlic powder*, yeast extract*, jalapeño pepper powder*, chipotle pepper powder*, spices*, lime flavor*, citric acid), chia seeds*, red quinoa*, trace of lime. *Organic.
Gluten-free.
• Nacho Que Pasa Tortilla Chips. Ingredients (Nacho): Volcanic stone ground corn*, sunflower* and/or safflower* oil, vegan nacho seasoning* (rice flour*, cane sugar*, sea salt, onion powder*, tomato powder*, yeast extract*, garlic powder*, paprika powder*, vegan cheddar cheese flavor*, spices*, jalapeño pepper powder*, red bell pepper powder*, green bell pepper powder*, annatto extract*, lactic acid, citric acid), chia seeds*, red quinoa*, trace of lime. *Organic.
Gluten-free.
• Sweet and Spicy Ranch Que Pasa Tortilla Chips. Ingredients: Volcanic stone ground corn*, sunflower and/or safflower* oil, sweet and spicy ranch seasoning* (rice flour*, cane sugar*, sea salt, green bell pepper*, onion powder*, garlic powder*, vegan buttermilk type flavor*, yeast extract*, chipotle pepper powder*, spices*, citric acid, jalapeno pepper powder*), chia seeds*, red quinoa*, trace of lime. *Organic. VEGAN.
Gluten-free.
All three varieties of Que Pasa chips are labeled vegan on the package and can be found in upscale and specialty stores.
VEGETABLE CHIPS
• Calbee Salted Green Peas/さやえんどう さっぱりしお味. Ingredients: Peas, vegetable oil, rice grits, salt, green pea powder, glucose, seasoning (amino acid etc.), calcium carbonate, flavoring (includes wheat and soybeans), antioxidant (vitamin C).
The following product may be vegan, depending on what the hydrolyzed protein is made out of.
• Calbee Sapporo Potato Speckled Vegetables/カルビー サッポロポテトつぶつぶベジタブル. Ingredients: Wheat, vegetable oil, Irish Cobbler potatoes (not genetically modified), potato starch, dehydrated potatoes, corn starch, sugar, spinach, salt, top-grade rice flour made from non-glutinous rice, carrot, bell pepper, kabocha squash powder, tomato paste, onion powder, red bell pepper paste, red beet powder, hydrolyzed protein/ seasoning (amino acid etc.), trehalose, pH adjusting agent, sweetener (licorice). (Product contains wheat.)
Manufactured in the same production process as items containing egg, dairy, shrimp, and crab.
Stick-shaped snacks. Includes 7 kinds of vegetables.
Mini Stop also has their own branded version of this product. The ingredients are the same as the above two versions.
• Mini Stop Calbee Sapporo Potato Speckled Vegetables/Mini Stop カルビー サッポロポテトつぶつぶベジタブル.
Manufactured in the same production process as items containing egg, dairy, shrimp, and crab.
It’s also available in small four-packs.
• Calbee Sapporo Potato Speckled Vegetables, 4 pc.／カルビー サッポロポテトつぶつぶベジタブル ミニ４.
RICE CHIPS
• Hula’s Rice Chips, Sea Salt/フラ印 ライスチップス シーソルト味. Ingredients: Rice grains (domestic), vegetable oils and fats, roasted soybean flour, powdered okara (soy pulp), brown rice grits (domestic), glutinous rice flour (domestic), pea grits, black sesame, roasted black soy, salt. (Contains sesame and soybean.)
Made in the same factory as items containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, dairy, and peanuts.
Gluten-free snack with 7.9 g of dietary fiber per bag. Additive free.
Photo from website.
Is it Vegan? (Japan) 