Skittles Vegan Status
What makes something vegan? In addition to cutting out meat, vegans diets also exclude dairy products, eggs and honey from their diet, as well as any other byproducts of animal agriculture like tallow, whey, or gelatin.
With that in mind, the simple answer is: yes. Skittles Classic Fruits are suitable for vegans.
Though the bag only brands them as ‘Suitable For Vegetarians’, classic Skittles do have a vegan friendly status as they contain no animal products. But could there be more to consider? We think so.
Are All Skittles Vegan?
Most types of Skittles are considered vegan, but not all. While Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical and Wild Berry Skittles are all currently suitable for vegans, some special editions such as the Once in a Blue Moon Skittles are not, as the blue skittles contain animal product derivatives.
As limited edition packs can differ with their ingredients, we recommend always checking the ingredients list of any past or future limited edition packs to double check for animal derived products if you want to be really safe!
Skittles Ingredients
Though like many other sweets the main ingredients of Skittles are coloured sugars and artificial additives, none of which contain animal products. However, the ingredients haven’t always looked like this.
Although gelatin was (thankfully) removed from Skittles over a decade ago, another ingredient called Carmine (AKA Cochineal Extract, E120) was only scrapped from the ingredients list in around 2015, so some older bags of Skittles that are floating around might still contain this product.
E120 is a natural red food colour taken from a species of insects called Cochineal that live on different succulents, making it an animal byproduct unsuitable for vegans.
We admit that it’s unlikely that you’ll happen upon a pre-2015 bag of Skittles anytime soon, but we think it’s always best to check the ingredients list just in case!
Vegan Considerations
Although Skittles no longer contain animal products, there are still some considerations to make as a vegan before tasting the rainbow! You may want to consider the wider company you are funding and their overall vegan status.
As Skittles are owned by parent company Mars, who have been known to test on animals in the past, you need to make some decisions about how strict your vegan diet should be. If you were to cut out all companies that have ever tested on animals you might not have much left to eat! But that choice is yours.
Another consideration to make is how you feel about palm oil. Palm oil production is widely known to be disastrous for the environment and for the animals within it. The production of palm oil has leveled forests, destroyed habitats and caused animal extinction, amongst other things. By destroying forests to make room for plantation development, wildlife lose their homes and their lives.
Though more companies are making efforts to get rid of palm oil from their products, it is still rife in the sweet industry. As Skittles contain palm oil as one of their ingredients, you should make an informed decision about whether or not you feel comfortable buying their products.
The Verdict
So we have established that most Skittles are suitable for vegans, with some considerations, but at the end of the day only you can make the choice when it comes to the suitability of Skittles in your vegan diet.
That might all depend on the reason you are vegan. If strict vegan ethics and sustainability are a core value to you, then we recommend steering clear of Skittles and maybe finding something minus the palm oil to satisfy that sweet tooth in the future!
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FAQs
Are Skittles 100% vegan? ›
Most types of Skittles are considered vegan, but not all. While Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical and Wild Berry Skittles are all currently suitable for vegans, some special editions such as the Once in a Blue Moon Skittles are not, as the blue skittles contain animal product derivatives.
Are Skittles still vegan? ›Skittles are made from entirely plant-based ingredients. That means: Yes, Skittles are vegan for all intents and purposes, although there's still a lingering question about the processing for the sugar.
Are Skittles vegan 2023? ›Skittles are considered vegan by many people because they do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. However, the sugar the candy uses is an uncertified refined white sugar and very likely is processed using bone char. The artificial colors are also routinely tested on animals, which is certainly not cruelty free.
Are purple Skittles vegan? ›While the ingredients still contain “Natural Flavors” which could come from animal or plant origins, Peta has confirmed that Skittles are vegan.
Are Oreos 100 vegan? ›Unfortunately, Mondelez International (Oreo's parent company) has confirmed that bone char is used by their sugar suppliers. This makes Oreo products not truly vegan, and none of the varieties of Oreos contain 100% vegan-friendly ingredients.
Is Sour Patch Kids vegan? ›Why Sour Patch Kids Are Vegan. Since Sour Patch Kids don't contain gelatin, the only vegan-questionable ingredient is sugar, which strict vegans evaluate based on processing. Otherwise, the natural and artificial flavors, colors, and texturizers are all plant-based or were created synthetically in a lab.
Are Doritos vegan? ›Spicy Sweet Chili, Blaze, and the Toasted Corn Tortilla Chips are the Doritos flavors that are vegan. All of the remaining Doritos flavors contain milk or chicken based ingredients.
Are starbursts vegan? ›Yes, Starburst are indeed vegan! Though deliciously chewy, it is free from gelatin which used to be a culprit in its ingredient list until several years ago.
Which candy is not vegan? ›Common Candies that Contain Animal Products
Gummy bears (contains gelatin) Candy corn (contains gelatin, although they do make vegan options) Starburst (contains gelatin derived from beef) Gummy worms (contains gelatin)
SPOOKTACULAR FLAVORS—These SKITTLES® FUN SIZE® candies feature Halloween-themed flavors like Mummified Melon, Bogeyman Blackcherry, Chilling Black Cherry, Petrifying Citrus Punch, Blood Red Berry, and some hidden rotten zombie-flavored candies.
Are Twizzlers vegan? ›
Candies with a toothy texture often contain gelatin, a byproduct of the beef and pork industries. But lucky for vegans, Twizzlers do not contain gelatin or other animal products.
Are Jolly Ranchers vegan? ›Jolly Rancher gummies, fruit chews, and gummy sweets contain gelatin and dairy milk, which is why it is excluded from the vegan diet—the same with Jolly rancher crunch. Jolly Rancher Misfits and Jolly Rancher bites are the only two classified as vegan.
Is Rainbow Jelly vegan? ›However, there are many different types of bubble tea toppings that are vegan. Lychee jelly, rainbow jelly, and numerous other forms of jelly are usually safe options. These jellies are made from sugar, fructose, and other ingredients that don't include animal products.
Is Laffy Taffy vegan? ›Laffy Taffy is vegan when it's fun-sized.
The fun-sized versions of Laffy Taffy candies are vegan-friendly. But, be cautious with the larger version, it is not vegan because it contains eggs.
Not all Takis flavors are vegan, as they contain animal ingredients, like milk or whey, in the recipe. But there are plenty of options that are totally animal-free. The original Fuego flavor, for example, which tastes like hot chili pepper and lime, is vegan.
Is there anything 100 vegan? ›Likewise, Prof Andrew Smith, the author of A Critique of the Moral Defense of Vegetarianism and a dedicated vegan himself, would probably concur that it is impossible to be 100% vegan, not least because plants get their nutrients from the soil, which is partly composed of decayed animal remains.
When did Skittles go vegan? ›Carnauba wax.
That said, it's possible that special edition, limited-time flavors may use animal-derived ingredients that aren't found in the mainstream flavors. As such, it's best to read the ingredient list. Until approximately 2010, Skittles contained gelatin, which is not a vegan ingredient.
Original Skittles were made using gelatine and some versions also contained animal-derived food colourings. In 2023, Skittles do not contain gelatine. Hurrah!
Is 100 plant based vegan? ›What Is the Difference Between a Vegan Diet and a Plant-Based Diet? A plant-based diet predominantly consists of plants; most people use the term to refer to a 100 percent plant diet, but some people include small amounts of animal products. A vegan diet totally eliminates all animal products.