There are few things in life quite as versatile as a flour tortilla. From burritos and quesadillas to tortilla pizzas, pinwheels, and soft nachos; the possibilities are endless!
As any true foodie knows, the brand matters especially when it comes to flour tortillas. Some flour tortillas may be too chewy, others too dry or too easily broken.
There’s certainly no shortage of tortilla brands to choose from, from Old El Paso to Mission Foods to Whole Foods Market, it can be difficult to know which brand to go with.
For decades though, Mission flour tortillas have reigned superior in the world of flatbreads. They’re generously sized, perfectly soft, and hold the flavor of their filling.
The great news for vegans who love a good tortilla is that Mission flour tortillas are vegan-friendly! In fact, Mission Foods has a few vegan-friendly tortilla options available.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes Mission Food’s tortillas suitable for people following a vegan diet.
What Foods are Suitable for Vegans?
Before we dive into Mission vegan-friendly flour tortillas, let’s take a closer look at what ingredients are considered unsuitable for vegans.
Anyone living a vegan lifestyle chooses to only eat food that is not derived from animal sources and only uses products that are free from ingredients derived from animal sources. This means that vegans will abstain from consuming any food that contains dairy, eggs, meat, animal fat, or ingredients that are processed using animal derivatives like bone char.
While many major food production companies have introduced vegan alternatives to their most popular products, some fan favorites happen to have main ingredients that are accidentally vegan-friendly. This is the case for most flour tortillas as most of their basic ingredients do not contain any animal products.
What are Tortillas?
As simple as they may be, tortillas are a pantry staple in kitchens around the world. They are also a favorite in the fast food world with chains like Chipotle and Taco Bell offering delicious Mexican cuisine-inspired tortilla meals.
A tortilla is a type of flatbread that is thin, circular, and unleavened, and can be made from either corn maize or flour. They are traditionally made from corn or flour, water, and salt.
Nowadays, tortillas are the stars of many modern dishes from quesadillas to burritos, but traditional tortillas have been around for centuries.
Legend has it that almost 12 000 years ago, a Mayan peasant invented the very first corn tortilla to appease a hungry king. Maize flatbreads soon rose to popularity among the Mayans and Aztecs. When the Spanish arrived, they named these flatbreads ‘tortillas’, which comes from the Spanish word for ‘little cake’.
Maize-based tortillas became a staple food in Mexico and when the Spaniards introduced wheat to Mexico, corn tortillas were adapted to make wheat flour tortillas.
What’s the Difference Between Corn and Flour Tortillas?
Corn tortillas are the original form of tortillas, and many people still opt for corn tortillas above flour tortillas as they are considered a healthier option.
Traditionally, corn kernels were soaked in an alkaline solution of lime water through a process called nixtamalization. The corn kernels were then ground down to create a corn dough called ‘masa harina’, which could be shaped, flattened, and baked into tortillas. The nixtamalization process enhances the nutritional benefits of corn flour or maize.
Wheat flour tortillas are traditionally made from refined wheat flour, water, shortening or in some cases lard, and baking soda. Flour tortillas are generally softer than corn tortillas and are usually sturdier.
Is Mission Foods a Vegan Company?
Mission Foods is one of the world’s leading producers of flatbread, tortilla, and other corn flour products.
The Mission Foods company was founded in the 70s as a subsidiary of Grupo Maseca as a way to sell traditionally Mexican foods to the American market. Over the last few decades, Mission Foods has become a household name across the world with factories across America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
While Mission’s tortillas are one of their signature products, it’s not all they’re known for. Mission Foods also produces roti, naan, pitas, various flavor wraps, tostadas, tortilla chips, salsa, dips, and a range of both corn and flour tortillas.
Mission wraps, tortillas, and chips do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. Mission Foods is, however, not a vegan company, and while they do have close to one hundred different products, not all of them are suitable for vegans.
Non-Vegan Ingredients in Flour Tortillas
Let’s take a closer look at some of the non-vegan ingredients in traditional flour tortillas.
Both corn and flour tortillas are made from simple ingredients. The main ingredients are by nature all vegan-friendly except for shortening.
Shortening generally refers to any type of fat that is solid at room temperate. In the past, shortening was mostly derived from animal fats and came in the form of butter, lard, or margarine.
However, nowadays, most shortening comes from vegetable oils like cottonseed, palm oil, or soybean oil. These oils undergo a process called hydrogenation to make them solid at room temperature.
This means that some flour tortillas may still contain butter, lard, or other animal-based shortenings, making them unsuitable for vegans. But luckily for vegan Mexican food lovers, Mission flour tortillas are vegan-friendly!
Mission Flour Tortillas Main Ingredients
Mission Food’s full range of flour tortillas and tortilla wraps are vegan-friendly, meaning vegans have sixteen different flour tortilla options to choose from! Most of these flour tortillas are available at your local grocery store.
If you’re ever in doubt about whether a Mission product is vegan, you can check the back of the packaging for the product label, which has the full ingredients list. You can also find Mission’s full allergen and cross-contamination guide on their site.
We have also put together a helpful list of all Mission’s vegan flour tortillas and their main ingredients lists:
- Multigrain Soft Taco Flour Tortillas
Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Multi-Grain Blend (Wheat Bran, Rye Flakes, Flour, Barley Flakes, Triticale Flour, Corn Flour, Oat Flakes, Barley Flour, Rice Flour), Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Brown Sugar, Contains 2% or less of Vital Wheat Gluten, Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Cellulose Gum, Fumaric Acid, Datem, Enzymes, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Street Tacos Sweet Hawaiian Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Oil Blend (Interesterified Soybean Oil, Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Water, Salt, Mono-And Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor, Beta-Carotene [Color], Vitamin A Palmitate), Sugar, Contain 2% or less of Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Vital Wheat Gluten, Distilled Monoglycerides, Monoglycerides, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Propylene Glycol, Natural Flavors, Ethyl Alcohol, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Carb Balance Soft Taco Restaurant Style Flour Tortillas
Water, Modified Wheat Starch, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Wheat Gluten, Vegetable Shortening (Interestified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Wheat Gluten Isolate, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Cellulose Gum, Distilled Monoglycerides, Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Soft Taco Restaurant Style Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or less of: Sugar, Salt, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate and/or Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate), Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Wheat Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid (to maintain freshness), Dough Conditioners (Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite and/or Mono- and Diglycerides).
- Fajita Extra Fluffy Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Carb Balance Soft Taco Flour Tortillas
Water, Modified Wheat Starch, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Wheat Gluten, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Wheat Gluten Isolate, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Cellulose Gum, Distilled Monoglycerides, Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Street Tacos Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interestified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Soft Taco Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/or Palm Oil), contains 2% or less of: Salt, Sugar, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate and/or Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate), Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Wheat Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Dough Conditioners (Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite and/or Mono- and Diglycerides), Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Carb Balance Fajita Flour Tortillas
Water, Modified Wheat Starch, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Wheat Gluten, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Wheat Gluten Isolate, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Cellulose Gum, Distilled Monoglycerides, Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Organic Flour Tortillas
Organic Wheat Flour, Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Cultured Wheat Flour, Organic Vinegar, Organic Cane Sugar, Contains 2% or less of Sea Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Gums (Organic Guar Gum, Xantham Gum, Carrageenan), Baking Soda, Malic Acid.
- Fajita Restaurant Style Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/or Palm Oil), contains 2% or less of: Sugar, Salt, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate and/or Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate), Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Wheat Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid. Dough Conditioners (Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, and/or Mono- and Diglycerides).
- Tortillas Caseras Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Cellulose Gum, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and
- Fajita Grande Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Soft Taco Homestyle Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Fajita Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
- Burrito Flour Tortillas
Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified and Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Fumaric Acid, and Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid.
Mission Flour Tortillas Are Vegan!
Mission has something for everyone when it comes to flour tortillas, especially for vegans! Whether you’re looking for a keto-friendly vegan option, a gluten-free tortilla, a slightly healthier organic or whole grains option, or even a 10-inch tortilla, they have got you covered!
Next time you’re at the grocery store wondering which brand of tortilla to buy, why not grab a vegan Mission flour tortilla to whip up your favorite vegan tortilla recipe?
