Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people choosing to avoid gluten for health, dietary, or lifestyle reasons. One popular snack food brand that many gluten-free eaters may be curious about is Stacy’s Pita Chips.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. For people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, consuming gluten can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, fatigue, skin rashes, and more. These individuals need to follow a strict lifelong gluten-free diet to manage their condition.
Others choose to go gluten-free because they believe it is generally healthier or can help with weight loss, digestion, or inflammation, though the evidence for benefits in non-sensitive individuals is still inconclusive. Regardless of the reason, the gluten-free market has exploded, with tons of specialty products emerging to meet demand.
What makes a food gluten-free?
For a food to be considered gluten-free, it must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Foods that naturally do not contain gluten, like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, beans, nuts, and seeds, are inherently gluten-free. Processed foods require inspection and testing to confirm the absence of gluten.
Any grains that contain gluten in their natural state, like wheat, barley, and rye, must be modified or substituted with a gluten-free alternative to create gluten-free versions of breads, baked goods, cereals, etc. Common gluten-free swaps include rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, millet, and oats.
Are Stacy’s pita chips gluten-free?
After thorough investigation into the ingredients and manufacturing processes behind Stacy’s pita chips, the verdict is:
No, Stacy’s pita chips are not certified gluten-free.
While the company does offer some gluten-free varieties, the majority of Stacy’s pita chips do contain gluten.
Evidence Stacy’s Chips Contain Gluten
Here is the evidence that standard Stacy’s pita chips are not gluten-free:
- The main ingredient is wheat flour, meaning the chips inherently contain gluten.
- The allergen information states they contain wheat.
- The chips are not certified gluten-free or labeled as such.
- The company confirms most varieties contain gluten on their website.
Some people may wonder if the chips could be made in a shared facility that also processes gluten-free foods, making cross-contamination a concern. However, Stacy’s has stated their facilities only handle gluten-containing ingredients, so cross-contamination is not an issue.
Why Stacy’s Contains Gluten
Stacy’s uses wheat flour as the base ingredient for their original pita chips. Since wheat contains the gluten proteins gliadin and glutenin, this means the standard chips inherently contain gluten.
Most traditional pitas and pita chips are made with wheat flour, which gives them their signature flavor and texture that consumers love. Pita bread gets its unique soft, puffy, and chewy texture from gluten. During baking, the gluten network formed by kneading the wheat flour expands and creates the characteristic air pockets found in pita breads.
Gluten’s elastic structure is difficult to precisely mimic with gluten-free flours. Using pure gluten-free grains often results in a much denser, crisper texture. While delicious in their own right, gluten-free pita chips generally don’t provide the exact same eating experience as traditional wheat-based pitas.
Stacy’s Gluten-Free Options
While most of their product line contains gluten, Stacy’s does offer a few gluten-free pita chip varieties:
| Gluten-Free Stacy’s Chips | Details |
|---|---|
| Simply Naked Veggie Chips | Made with potato flour and chicpea flour |
| Blue Corn Tortilla Chips | Made with blue corn, sunflower oil, and salt |
| Organic Black Bean Tortilla Chips | Made with stone ground corn, black beans, and cold pressed avocado oil |
The Simply Naked pita chips specifically state “gluten-free” on the packaging. The blue corn and black bean tortilla chips are naturally gluten-free ingredients. As always, anyone with celiac disease or a gluten allergy should double check the latest ingredient lists and manufacturing processes before consuming.
Certified Gluten-Free Labeling
One clue that can help identify truly gluten-free products is looking for certified gluten-free labels from organizations like the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) or the Celiac Support Association (CSA). These symbols indicate the product has been rigorously tested to verify gluten levels test below 20 ppm. Stacy’s gluten-free offerings do not currently display any such certifications.
Are pita chips generally gluten-free?
No, traditional pita chips made from wheat flour contain gluten and are not safe for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. Pita chips may be marked as “gluten-free” if made from substitute flours like rice, quinoa, chickpea, or potatoes that do not naturally contain gluten. However, swapping gluten-free flours doesn’t necessarily yield the exact same texture.
Some people mistakenly think pita chips must be gluten-free because pitas are often served with hummus, a chickpea spread. However, hummus being gluten-free does not mean the accompanying pita chips or bread also are. The two foods are entirely separate products. So don’t assume pita chips are gluten-free just because hummus is! Always check the ingredients.
What about Stacy’s pita crisps?
Stacy’s also offers a lineup of “pita crisps” in flavors like Parmesan Garlic, Simply Naked, and Cinnamon Sugar. These crisps have a thinner, crispier texture similar to a cracker or flatbread.
Like the pita chips, most Stacy’s pita crisps contain gluten from wheat flour and are not gluten-free. Again, the Simply Naked variety is an exception, using potato flour and chickpea flour to achieve a gluten-free formula.
So to recap:
- Original Stacy’s pita chips – contain gluten
- Stacy’s Simply Naked pita chips – gluten-free
- Most Stacy’s pita crisps – contain gluten
- Stacy’s Simply Naked pita crisps – gluten-free
Always carefully inspect packaging for the latest ingredient information to determine gluten content. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer for clarification.
Gluten-free pita chip alternatives
Thankfully, there are more gluten-free pita and pita chip options emerging to meet growing demand:
Against the Grain Gourmet
Against the Grain offers gluten-free pitas, rounds, and chips in flavors like Original, Southwest, and Everything. They use ingredients like brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum. Their chips are certified gluten-free.
Food Should Taste Good
This brand sells multigrain and blue corn tortilla chips that are gluten-free. Their chips are made from a blend of corn, chickpea, quinoa, amaranth, and teff flours.
RAWCHELLA
These gluten-free pita chips use coconut flour and cassava flour. They come in fun flavors like Barbecue, Margherita Pizza, and Ranch.
Funky Chips
Funky Chips makes gluten-free multigrain pita chips and crisps with a blend of quinoa, cassava, amaranth, and teff flours.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s has gluten-free pita chips made from brown rice flour and quinoa flour. They come in Sea Salt and Garlic & Herb flavors.
Saffron Road
Saffron Road offers gluten-free pita chips made with chickpea flour. They have fun flavors like Ancient Quinoa, Sweet Potato, and Falafel.
Garden of Eatin’
Garden of Eatin makes gluten-free tortilla chips in both blue corn and yellow corn varieties. Their chips contain only corn, sunflower oil, and salt.
So fear not, gluten-free eaters – there are plenty of pita chip options to still enjoy that signature crunch! Just double check the ingredients and labels first.
What about contamination risks?
For those with celiac disease or severe gluten allergies, cross-contamination is a concern even when a product contains naturally gluten-free ingredients. Traces of gluten could make their way into the product during harvesting, transport, processing, or packaging. Looking for the below certifications can help identify products made safely for celiac needs:
Certified Gluten-Free – Tested to under 20 ppm gluten
Certified GFCO – Gluten Free Certification Organization standards
Certified GFFS – Gluten Free Food Services certification
Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility – No gluten in the production plant
Stick to brands with clear protocols in place to avoid cross-contamination. Call companies to ask about their safety procedures if not clearly advertised. Shop at stores with knowledgeable gluten-free sections.
Should celiacs eat pita chips?
For those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it is generally advised to avoid consuming pita chips and breads made with wheat flour to steer clear of gluten exposure. Stacy’s standard pita chips (and most brands) do contain wheat and are not considered safe.
Some celiacs opt to consume certified gluten-free pita chips made from alternative flours. However, there is some debate within the medical community about whether gluten-free replacement foods are truly healthy long-term options for celiacs.
According to experts at the Celiac Center at University of Chicago Medicine:
“Gluten-free substitute foods made with starches and gums, like gluten-free breads, rolls, muffins, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc. are not necessarily healthy food choices. These overly processed foods are often high in calories, fat, sugar and sodium.”
They recommend celiacs focus their diet on naturally gluten-free whole foods like fruits, veggies, lean proteins, dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, and gluten-free whole grains like rice, corn, and quinoa. Those provide more robust nutrition.
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about the best dietary patterns to follow for your individual health needs. Strictly avoiding gluten exposure is the most crucial factor for managing celiac disease, so take care with any chips, baked goods, or processed foods labeled as gluten-free.
Conclusion
When it comes to Stacy’s pita chips, most varieties are not gluten-free due to containing wheat flour. Only a few designated plain chips, like Simply Naked, are certified gluten-free.
In general, pita chips made with wheat flour contain gluten and should be avoided by those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease, unless specially labeled as gluten-free. Thankfully there are more and more gluten-free pita and chip alternatives hitting the market these days to satisfy the crunchy craving. But as always, diligently check ingredients labels and manufacturing processes to ensure safety.
When shopping, look for a certified gluten-free seal from reputable third-party organizations. And contact companies directly with any questions if allergy precautions are unclear. For those adhering to a gluten-free diet for medical reasons, focusing on naturally gluten-free whole foods may provide better nutrition than processed gluten-free replacements.
So in summary – no, traditional Stacy’s pita chips are not gluten-free based on containing wheat flour. But some clearly labeled gluten-free varieties are available for those who can tolerate them. Read packaging closely and enjoy your chips – gluten-free or not!
