If you are on a vegan diet or running a household that follows vegan practices, you may wonder, Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan? Sour Patch Kids is a sweet and sour chewy candy. They are tart on the outside and have a chewy, sweet, fruity flavor on the inside. They are a go-to candy for a person who prefers chewy candy over chocolate, but are they vegan-friendly and suitable for a vegan lifestyle? Let’s find out.
What is a vegan?
A vegan is someone who does not eat any food that comes from an animal or uses any products that come from an animal. Vegans will also steer clear of products tested on animals or wear clothing from animals, such as leather, wool, or fur.
A vegan differs from a vegetarian as vegetarians can eat dairy and eggs. A vegan does not eat any meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, or eggs.
What are Sour Patch Kids?
Sour Patch Kids are a soft and chewy candy with a sweet and sour sugar coating. The candy was shaped like tiny Martians in the 70s, then took on the shape of kids in the 80s.
Children and adults love the catchy slogans of the Sour Patch Kids brand. “Sour Sweet Gone” and “Sour then Sweet.”
Who Makes Sour Patch Kids?
Sour Patch Kids are a sweet and sour soft, chewy gummy candy. They were introduced in 1985 by Mondelez International. Part of the success of the South Patch Kids brand was its popularity as a movie theater snack in the late 80s.
Mondelez International is one of the largest snacking companies in the world. Their snacks can be found in over 150 countries worldwide. Some popular products include Oreo, Ritz, Honey Maid, Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins, and Trident gum.
Sour Patch Kids Flavors
These soft and chewy candies come in a variety of flavors. They have a flavor to please all taste buds. The original Sour Patch Kids candies came in four flavors: lime, lemon, orange, and cherry. In 2013 they added blue raspberry. Now Sour Patch Kids come in various flavors, including sour apple, pineapple, banana, berry, grape, raspberry, orange, peach, grape strawberry, and watermelon.
What is Sour Patch Kids Made of?
When looking a the ingredients, they do contain plant-based products.
Sour Patch Kids Ingredients
- Sugar
- Invert sugar
- Corn syrup
- Modified corn starch
- Tartaric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Natural and artificial flavor
- Yellow 6
- Yellow 5
- Red 40
- Blue 1
When looking at the ingredients, many vegans would consider Sour Patch Kids vegan-friendly; they do not contain any gelatin like other gummy candies and even have plant-based products, while stricter vegans may not; why?
One reason is sugar. There are two types of sugars used in gummy candy, beet sugar, and cane sugar. There is no way to tell if the sugar used in Sour Patch Kids have been processed using animal bone char, which comes from animal bones. It does not disclose how it processes the sugar on the label. Mondelez International uses different sugar suppliers. There is no way to tell how each supplier processes their sugar. This is why some vegans are weary when it comes to processed sugar.
Another reason is animal testing; some ingredients in Sour Patch Kids may be tested on animals. Artificial food dyes are typically tested on animals. That does not mean that the animals were harmed.
Even though there is an issue with not knowing how the sugar is processed or if any ingredients were tested on animals, many vegans agree that Sour Patch Kids are vegan-friendly.
What Sour Candies are Vegan?
As a vegan, fulfilling those sugary candy cravings is difficult. Luckily you do not have to deny yourself or your family those cravings. Here is a list of vegan alternatives to gummy candies and their ingredients:
Swedish Fish: sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, modified cornstarch, citric acid, white mineral oil, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, carnauba wax.
Twizzlers: Enriched wheat flour, sugar, cornstarch, palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, citric acid, mineral oil, red 40, lecithin
Dots: corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, malic acid, artificial and natural flavors, sodium citrate, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1
Skittles: sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, citric acid, tapioca dextrin, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, red 40, yellow 5, blue 2, yellow 6, titanium dioxide, blue 1, sodium citrate, carnauba wax
Air Heads: sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, modified food starch (corn), partially hydrogenated soybean oil, palm oil, citric acid, water, artificial flavors, red 40, blue 1, yellow 6, yellow 5. It is manufactured in a facility that processes wheat.
Jujubes: Corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch (potato), white mineral oil, carnauba wax, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1
Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks: organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup solids, organic pear juice concentrate, water, pectin, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural organic flavor, ascorbic acid, vitamin C, organic sunflower oil, organic color, (organic black carrot, organic black currant extracts, organic carnauba wax.
Are Sour Patch Kids Gluten Free?
Gluten is a protein found in some grains. It is present in wheat, rye, and barley. Foods containing gluten include pizza, pasta, bread, and many bowls of cereal, although many brands offer gluten-free versions.
Celiac is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the small intestine when a diagnosed person eats, drinks, or takes medicine containing gluten. There is no cure for celiac, and the disease is hereditary. People diagnosed with celiac can avoid damage to the small intestine by avoiding consuming gluten.
Sour Patch Kids are gluten-free and safe for celiacs.
Are Sour Patch Kids Dairy Free?
Dairy refers to milk from cows or other mammals, including goats.
Why would someone want to go dairy free? Some people are allergic to or react negatively to the proteins, whey, or casein in milk.
According to the ingredients listed on the package, Sour Patch Kids do not contain dairy or milk products. Sour Patch Kids are safe for people who cannot eat dairy.
Is dairy free the same as lactose-free? The answer is no.
Some people enjoy dairy products, but their bodies can’t digest them properly, causing bloating and other stomach issues. Lactose-free products contain milk and are still dairy products.
They have an enzyme, lactase, added to the milk that breaks down lactose into simple sugars and makes it easier to digest.
Sour Patch Kids, Good Vegan Choice?
If you are a vegan Sour Patch Kids may be a good choice for you and your family. None of the ingredients comes directly from animals, and they do not contain gelatin. However, there is no way to determine how they process the sugar in the product. After reading the facts, I recommended choosing what you are comfortable with and what works best for yourself and your family.