What do you need to know about this popular treat’s ingredients and what alternatives exist? Read on for the full scoop!
What are gummy bears?
Gummy bears are firm chewy candy that comes in a variety of fruit flavors that mostly taste sweet. They’re bear-shaped candies roughly 2 cm long and they come in different colors including yellow, green, red, orange, or brown. Gummy bears and other jelly candies are popular amongst kids and adults alike.
Are gummy bears vegan?
The short answer is no, generally not. Most conventional brands contain ingredients like gelatin and beeswax which makes them not vegan. However, there are vegan alternatives.
What makes many gummy bears not vegan?
There are some ingredients commonly found in gummy bears or gummy candies that are not vegan.
- Gelatin
- Beeswax
- Confectioner’s glaze
- Some colors and flavors especially carmine
- Palm oil
Not only gummy bears
While the name of this article discusses gummy bears it also applies to all sorts of other jelly and gummy candies. Candies like jelly beans, candy corn, and wine gums could include one or more of the following non-vegan ingredients.
What is gelatin?
Gelatin is a protein that comes from the boiled skin, bones, and connective tissues of dead animals. It’s used as an ingredient in many foods to help them set or maintain their shape like marshmallows, jello, and of course gummy bears and jelly candies. Gelatin isn’t a vegetarian or vegan product because it is made from the bones and skin of animals.
What is beeswax?
Beeswax is a wax that comes from the honeycomb of bees. It’s used in many foods to help them set or maintain their shape like marshmallows, jello and also (sadly) gummy bears! The process for making it involves boiling down beehives with water until all you’re left are these white blocks. Beeswax is also known as E901.
What is confectioner’s glaze?
Confectioner’s glaze is a food-grade product that contains roughly 35% shellac. This clear, naturally light-reflective substance helps to preserve and give an added shine to confections like sugar products or other edible items. Shellac is a natural resin that comes from the lac beetle. The substance, which has been used for centuries to make varnishes and sealants as well in art restoration work (think of those old paintings you see at museums), can be found on many food labels under its more common alias “confectioner’s glaze.” The fact that that confectioner’s glaze contains insects means it is not vegan. Confectioner’s glaze is not usually used in gummy bears, however, it is often used in other jelly candies like jelly beans.
Some food dyes
It is impossible here to give a definitive list as this really will depend on the brand. It doesn’t help that different countries have different numbers and names for various different natural and artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives however you can and should keep an eye out for carmine.
What is carmine?
Carmine is a bright red dye that comes from beetles. Carmine can be used to color foods, cosmetics, and textiles – but it’s not vegan because the pigment originates with dried crushed beetle bodies boiled in water for hours until carminic acid seeps out of them into the liquid. The bug recipe might also show up as cochineal extract on labels or crimson lake (although natural red 4 and E120 are common aliases).
Why is palm oil considered not vegan?
Aerial view of palm oil trees.
Palm oil is an edible vegetable fat that comes from the fruit of palm trees. It’s used in a lot more than just gummy bears. Palm oil, touted by some as a vegan-friendly alternative to animal fat because it contains no animal ingredients and is plant-derived, nonetheless has its own set of problems. Palm oil production causes deforestation and the extinction of animal species in areas where harvesting palms requires clearing large swaths of forest land. For this reason, some vegans choose sustainably sourced palm oil or avoid it completely. Palm oil is often labeled as vegetable fat which can make it a little confusing.
Choose vegan gummy bears or vegan alternatives
Luckily there are a lot of vegan gummy bears or chewy candies out there that are marked as vegan (and sometimes marked as palm oil-free or low sugar to boot) They usually use pectin, carrageenan, or agar-agar. These are available online, at your health food store, and probably in your local supermarket. We can’t possibly list all of the brands of vegan jelly candy but here are some brands you might like to check out. They have clearly marked vegan chewy and jelly candies (even if they are not shaped like bears).
Squish Candies
Squish Candies based in Montreal has a wide range of jelly-like candies that are very clearly marked vegan including ones that actually contain wine! Gummy bears for grown-ups!
Surf Sweets
Surf Sweets has a few gummy candies. You can order online and can filter by diet including vegan.
Annies
Annies has quite a few gummies available online that can be filtered to be vegan.
Bulk buy gummy bears
Nuts.com also sells organic gummy bears by the pound which will save a lot of plastic compared with the tiny snack-sized packaged ones above.
Fruit Roll Ups
Consider fruit roll ups! I know… You are probably a little skeptical, but hear me out. Fruit roll ups are quite similar to gummy bears. They are chewy, fruit flavored and they are actually healthier than even the more natural and vegan gummy bears out there. Don’t believe us? Give them a try!
Make your own
You can also make your own gummy bears if you feel so inclined. There are lots of recipes online if you would like to give it a go.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post has been helpful in answering the question of whether gummy bears are vegan or not. While not many brands of gummy candies are vegan there are a few that are available in stores, health food stores and online.
Did we miss any of your favorite brands? Let us know in the comments below.
If you like it, PIN IT!
