For half-term snacks, choose crisps by checking the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen advice and any precautionary wording against the child’s specific requirement. Seabrook Sea Salted and KETTLE Lightly Salted carry explicit gluten-free and vegan claims, but those claims do not establish suitability for every food allergy; plain or salted flavours can carry warnings too.
The relevant label depends on whether the snack must meet a gluten-free requirement, another specific allergen restriction or a vegan or vegetarian preference.
Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the current pack rather than relying on a plain flavour. Seabrook describes its crisps and snacks as gluten-free and Coeliac UK accredited; KETTLE labels its Lightly Salted crisps gluten-free.
Check the exact flavour and pack for ingredients and precautionary wording. Walkers Ready Salted names allergens handled in its factory, while Tyrrells Naked and McCoy’s Salted carry ‘may contain’ statements for specified allergens.
Check for a product-specific suitability statement as well as separate allergen advice. Seabrook Sea Salted and KETTLE Lightly Salted are both labelled suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Start with the ingredient or dietary requirement that cannot be compromised, then compare flavours and pack formats that meet it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Named allergen | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ or factory-handling statement on the exact pack. Do not assume a plain or no-salt flavour has no warnings. | My child must avoid a particular allergen, so a broad ‘free-from’ description is not enough to make the choice. |
| Gluten-free and vegan | Look for both claims on the same product. A gluten-free claim addresses gluten, not every other allergen; a short ingredient list does not replace the allergen advice. | We need a snack labelled both gluten-free and suitable for vegans, without treating either claim as proof of the other. |
| Salt and portions | Compare salt using the same basis, such as per 100g or per serving, and note the serving size. Tyrrells lists 0.02g salt per 30g serving for Naked (no salt); its pack also says it may contain milk. | For several days of snacks, I may prefer individual bags or a pack I can portion, while still checking its allergen statement. |
A simple recipe does not rule out precautionary wording. Tyrrells Naked says it may contain milk; Walkers Ready Salted names several allergens handled in its factory; McCoy’s Salted says it may contain milk, soya, gluten and mustard.
For a required avoidance, check the declared ingredients and precautionary statement on each flavour and pack size before serving it.
A gluten-free claim does not answer a separate question about milk, soya, mustard or another named allergen.
Identify the allergen that needs avoiding, then read the full allergen advice for that specific product.
These product-level examples can help narrow a shortlist; check the current pack before choosing for a specific dietary or allergen requirement.
Seabrook labels its Sea Salted crisps gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
KETTLE labels Lightly Salted gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Ready Salted is a familiar potato-crisp option where its allergen advice does not conflict with the child’s requirements.
Naked (no salt) is relevant when salt content is the comparison point, rather than a milk-free requirement.
Salted is an option to assess by its own allergen statement, not by its plain-sounding flavour name.
These options include a potato crisp and cassava- and lentil-based snacks. Check each pack against the specific free-from requirement; the alternatives are not interchangeable with potato crisps or with one another.
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A potato-crisp option when both gluten-free and vegan claims are needed: KETTLE states that Lightly Salted meets both descriptions. If milk or soya must also be avoided, check the current bag’s precautionary advice.
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An unsalted cassava snack rather than a potato crisp. Check the current pack for the dietary claim and allergen advice you need. The product information warns that its shape and texture make it unsuitable for children under 4.
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A cassava-based alternative to potato crisps. If you need a gluten-free or other free-from snack, confirm the relevant claim and full allergen advice on the current pack rather than relying on the type of chip.
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A chilli-flavoured cassava snack, not a plain potato crisp. Check the current pack for the gluten-free and vegan statements if both matter to your household, and read its allergen advice separately.
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A lentil-based snack rather than a potato crisp. Its product information carries a ‘may contain soya and celery’ warning; check the current pack if either allergen must be avoided, alongside any gluten-free or plant-based claim you need.
No. The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten-free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg gluten as sold to consumers. That claim does not establish that the crisps are free from milk, soya or other allergens, so check the complete allergen advice for the specific requirement.
It is precautionary wording indicating that a named allergen could be unintentionally present through cross-contact. The Food Standards Agency says such labelling should be used where an unavoidable cross-contamination risk remains. If the child must avoid that allergen, do not treat the product as suitable simply because it is absent from the recipe ingredients.
Use the current physical pack as the final check before serving an allergy-sensitive snack. A website can help you shortlist flavours, but compare the pack’s ingredients, dietary claims and precautionary wording with the child’s specific requirement; KETTLE also directs shoppers to the allergy advice on each bag.