Resource Library

Tortilla/Corn Chips

All grains served on the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) must be enriched, whole grain, or whole grain-rich (WGR). Corn that has been treated with slaked lime (nixtamalized) is now also considered WGR in child nutrition programs.

Tortilla chips made with non-grain ingredients (e.g. cassava flour, coconut flour, tigernut flour, tapioca flour, vegetables or vegetable flours, or bean or nut flours) or in dessert flavors (e.g. cinnamon sugar) are not creditable as a grain.

While tortilla chips that meet the following criteria are creditable and may be considered WGR, tortilla chips are normally fried and can be high in fat and sodium. Providers should be mindful of how often they serve tortilla chips as a reimbursable grain.

Tortilla chips must meet one of the following criteria to be creditable:

• Enriched with vitamins and minerals
• Made of whole corn
• Treated with slaked lime (nixtamalized). The following phrases indicate the corn has been treated with slaked lime or nixtamalized:
  – Trace of lime
  – Treated with lime
  – Ground corn with a trace of lime
  – Ground corn treated with lime
  – Masa harina
  – Masa flour
  – Corn masa flour
  – Calcium Hydroxide

Examples:

✓ CREDITABLE

Explanation:
The tortilla chip pictured above is creditable and may be claimed as a WGR grain item. The ingredient list states that it is made of “masa flour (ground white corn with a trace of lime)” which indicates that the corn has been nixtamalized and is therefore WGR.

✕ NOT CREDITABLE

Explanation:
The tortilla chip pictured above would NOT be creditable in the CACFP. The ingredient list for this tortilla chip only lists “corn” as the grain ingredient. It does not indicate that the corn has been treated with slaked lime, nor if the tortilla chip is made of enriched or whole grain corn.

The following tortilla chips are examples that meet the criteria to be considered WGR in the CACFP at the time of publication. Always check the ingredient list of your products before you buy them to verify whether they are WGR. Other brands, types, and flavors may also qualify.

• Chi-Chi’s Original Authentic
• Chi-Chi’s Original Rounds
• Donkey Tortilla Chips
• Garden Fresh Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
• Garden Fresh Original Tortilla Chips
• Garden Fresh Unsalted Tortilla Chips
• Hacienda Authentic Corn Tortilla Chips
• La Fiesta Handmade Tortilla Chips
• Late July Clásico Bacon Habanero
• Late July Clásico Buffalo Queso
• Late July Clásico Jalapeño Lime
• Late July Clásico Korean Barbeque
• Late July Clásico Nacho Chipotle
• Late July Organic Blue Corn
• Late July Organic Sea Salt Thin & Crispy
• Late July Organic Sea Salt and Lime
• Sunchips French Onion
• Sunchips Garden Salsa
• Sunchips Harvest Cheddar
• Sunchips Original

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/ default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or (2) fax:(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; (3) or email:program.intake@usda.gov