Hula Hoops are a snack made out of potatoes and corn in the form of short, hollow cylinders.
They’re currently being sold in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa, and they’re also available in Belgium and France under a different name.
Are Hula Hoops vegan? Whilst the original and salt and vinegar Hula Hoops flavors are vegan, the other four flavors contain dairy ingredients.
Hula Hoops Ingredients
According to Hula Hoops’s official website, there are currently six different flavors:
- Original
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Salt, Potassium Chloride.
- Salt & Vinegar
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Natural Flavourings, Salt, Acid: Citric Acid, Rice Flour, Dextrose, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Dried Yeast Extract], Maize Flour, Potassium Chloride, Salt.
- BBQ Beef
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Barbecue Beef Flavour [Salt, Rice Flour, Dried Yeast Extract, Dried Whey (MILK), Dried Onion, Potassium Chloride, Sugar, Natural Flavourings, Dried Tomato, Colour: Paprika Extract], Maize Flour, Natural Flavouring [contains Potassium Chloride, Salt, Maltodextrin, Dried Onion], Salt.
- Cheese & Onion
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Cheese & Onion Flavour [Dried Onion, Salt, Dried Yeast Extract, Sugar, Dried Cheese (MILK), Acid: Citric Acid, Natural Flavourings (contains MILK), Cayenne Extract, Black Pepper Extract, Onion Extract, Colour: Paprika Extract], Maize Flour, Natural Flavouring [contains Potassium Chloride, Salt, Maltodextrin, Dried Onion], Salt.
- Roast Chicken
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Roast Chicken Flavour [Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Salt, Corn Flour, Dried Onion, Dried Yeast, Sugar, Dried Garlic, Dried Palm Fat (contains MILK Protein, Glucose Syrup), Natural Flavourings, Potassium Chloride, Colour: Paprika Extract, Spice Extract], Maize Flour, Natural Flavouring [contains Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, Dried Yeast Extract, Ground Sage], Salt.
- Smoky Bacon
Ingredients: Potato (Potato Starch & Dried Potato), Sunflower Oil (24%), Rice Flour, Smoky Bacon Flavour [Dried Yeast Extract, Wheat Flour, Salt, Smoked Dextrose, Dextrose, Sugar, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Natural Flavourings, Acid: Citric Acid, Colour: Paprika Extract], Maize Flour, Natural Flavouring [contains Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, Dried Yeast Extract, Ground Sage], Salt.
Other Varieties of Hula Hoops
Apart from the original Hula Hoops, the brand also has three other varieties, namely the Puft Hula Hoops, Big Hoops, and the Flavarings.
Puft Hula Hoops
The Puft Hula Hoops are available in four different flavors:
- Salted
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Dried Potato, Sunflower Oil (20%), Rice Flour, Salted Flavour [Sea Salt, Salt, Rice Flour, Natural Potato Flavouring], Yeast Extract, and E471.
- Sweet Chilli
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Dried Potato, Sunflower Oil (19%), Sweet Chilli Flavour [Sugar, Salt, Dextrose, Dried Yeast Extract, Acid: Citric Acid, Dried Onion, Flavourings, Potassium Chloride, Maltodextrin, Maize Starch, Dried Cayenne Pepper, Dried Ginger, Spice & Herb], Rice Flour, Yeast Extract, and E471.
- Salt & Vinegar
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Dried Potato, Sunflower Oil (19%), Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Natural Flavourings, Salt, Sugar, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Dried Yeast Extract, Rice Flour, Dextrose], Rice Flour, Yeast Extract, and E471.
- Beef
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Dried Potato, Sunflower Oil (19%), Beef Flavour [Dried Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Dried Onion, Natural Flavourings, Dried Garlic, Carrot Powder, Leek Powder, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Citric Acid, Ground Cinnamon, Colour: Paprika Extract], Rice Flour, Yeast Extract, and E471.
Whilst none of the flavors seem to contain flagrant animal ingredients, including the beef flavor, all flavors contain an emulsifier called E471, which the Vegan Society flags as being potentially animal-based.
That is because it can be derived from either vegetable oils or animal fat— but since all of the Puft Hula Hoops are labeled as being suitable for vegetarians, it doesn’t seem like it derives from animals.
Big Hoops
The Big Hoops are available in four different flavors as well:
- Spicy Chilli
Ingredients: Potato (Dried Potato & Potato Starch), Sunflower Oil (24%), Spicy Chilli Flavour [Sugar, Salt, Flavourings, Acid: Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Dried Onion, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Yeast Extract, Maize Starch, Maltodextrin, Spice], Salt, Potassium Chloride.
- Salted
Ingredients: Potato (Dried Potato & Potato Starch), Sunflower Oil (24%), Salt, Potassium Chloride.
- BBQ Beef
Ingredients: Potato (Dried Potato & Potato Starch), Sunflower Oil (24%), Barbecue Beef Flavour [Rice Flour, Salt, Dried Yeast Extract, Dried Whey (MILK), Dried Onion, Potassium Chloride, Sugar, Flavourings, Dried Tomato, Maltodextrin, Colour: Paprika Extract], Natural Flavouring (contains Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast Extract, Salt, Maltodextrin, Dried Onion), Salt.
- Salt & Vinegar
Ingredients: Potato (Dried Potato & Potato Starch), Sunflower Oil (24%), Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Natural Flavourings, Salt, Acid: Citric Acid, Rice Flour, Dextrose, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Dried Yeast Extract], Salt, Potassium Chloride.
Most of the Big Hoops flavors are suitable for vegans, except for the BBQ Beef flavor that contains dried whey, which is clearly not vegan.
Flavarings
The Flavarings come in three different flavors:
- Tangy Cheese
Ingredients: Maize Flour, Sunflower Oil (35%), Rice Flour, Tangy Cheese Flavour [Sugar, Dried Whey (MILK), Salt, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Dried Cheese (MILK), Natural Flavoring (contains MILK), Dried Yeast Extract, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Hot Paprika Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Acid: Citric Acid].
- Salt & Vinegar
Ingredients: Maize Flour, Sunflower Oil (35%), Rice Flour, Salt & Vinegar Flavour [Natural Flavouring, Maltodextrin, Rice Flour, Acids: Citric Acid, Malic Acid; Salt, Sugar, Dried Yeast Extract, Colour: Paprika Extract].
- Spicy
Ingredients: Maize Flour, Sunflower Oil (35%), Spicy Flavour [Sugar, Salt, Natural Flavouring, Dried Yeast Extract, Dried Onion, Hot Paprika Powder, Dextrose, Acid: Citric Acid, Cayenne Pepper, Maltodextrin, Ground Cumin], Rice Flour.
Whilst the Salt & Vinegar and Spicy flavors are suitable for vegans, the Tangy Cheese flavor contains ingredients such as dried whey and cheese and a natural flavoring derived from milk.
Potential Cross-Contamination
Some vegans are particularly cautious about the potential for cross-contamination, so they will avoid any products that “may contain” animal ingredients.
Well, unfortunately, Hula Hoops products “may contain” animal ingredients because they’re all manufactured in the same facility, where they handle a bunch of different ingredients, including dairy.
If you’re allergic to dairy or gluten, this is bad news because you won’t be able to consume their products as it could be quite dangerous.
Summary
There are 4 different varieties of Hula Hoops products, including the original Hula Hoops, Puft Hula Hoops, Big Hoops, and the Flavarings.
Every single variety contains vegan ingredients, though you might come across a few controversial ingredients.
If you wish to play it safe, opt for more basic flavors like the salted or the salt & vinegar Hula Hoops, which lack controversial ingredients.
