The stories vary on who first created Thousand Island dressing. However, the original recipe was likely a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, hard-boiled egg, pickle/relish, and Worchestershire sauce. All of these ingredients are typically dairy-free including mayonnaise.
While the original recipe was dairy-free, what about today’s versions of store-bought Thousand Island dressings? Below you will discover if this type of dressing commonly contains dairy.
Thousand Island Dressing & Dairy
The table below reflects several popular Thousand Island dressing brands and whether they contain dairy as an ingredient. As the table shows, the majority of these dressings do not have dairy. However, there certainly are Thousand Island dressing products out there that have dairy such as Marie’s featured below.
Overall, the norm is for Thousand Island dressing to be dairy-free. Other potential food allergens are more of a concern as we will explain below.
| Thousand Island Dressing | Dairy (Yes or No)? | Dairy Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Marzetti | No | None |
| Kraft | No | None |
| Litehouse | No | None |
| Wish-Bone | No | None |
| Ken’s Steak House | No | None |
| Annie’s Naturals Organic | No | None |
| Follow Your Heart | No | None |
| Marie’s | Yes | Sour Cream |
| Smart Way | No | None |
| Market Pantry | No | None |
| Kroger | No | None |
| Signature Select | No | None |
| Whole Foods 365 | No | None |
| Great Value | No | None |
Common Thousand Island Ingredients
Now that we have established that dairy is an uncommon ingredient in Thousand Island dressing, let’s take a look at what is typically in this dressing, including any potential food allergens.
These are the common primary ingredients of store-bought Thousand Island dressings:
- Soybean Oil – This is a vegetable oil derived from the seeds of the soybean plant. Soy is one of the major food allergens.
- Tomato Puree – It is often made with water and tomato paste.
- Sugar – Adds a bit of sweetness.
- Vinegar – Adds acidity to help balance flavors.
- Relish/Pickles – The ingredient that helps make this dressing unique.
- Egg Yolk – Egg is one of the nine food allergens and an ingredient in the original Thousand Island dressing.
- Water – Helps thin out the dressing and is a cheap ingredient for manufacturers to include.
Final Thoughts
The product label will provide the most accurate ingredient information. You should reference the label at the store to verify a product does not contain dairy if you desire to avoid it.
Some products have the potential to contain trace amounts of dairy if they are made in a facility where cross-contamination is possible. The label or the product website will often indicate this information.
Of course, contact the manufacturer with questions regarding ingredients if anything is clear.
Image Credit – Rainer Zenz CC BY-SA 3.0
