Image by John D./Flicker
SweeTarts are sweet and sour candies produced under the Willy Wonka Candy Company by Nestle. They were originally made in small hockey puck shaped candies, but now come in gummies, chewy candy, and rope candies as well. According to Wikipedia, SweeTarts were created using the same basic recipe as the already popular Pixy Stix and Lik-M-Aid products, in response to parents’ requests for a less-messy candy. This article answer the question, “Are SweeTarts (Sweet Tarts) Vegan?” and other popular questions related to SweeTarts.
A full vegan-friendly analysis of SweeTarts products can be found in the following sections.
Controversial Vegan Ingredients
Before we start our vegan analysis, we would like to make note of the controversial ingredients that are assumed to be vegan in this analysis. Even though we consider them to be vegan, we will still highlight these ingredients if they appear in any posted ingredient lists. These controversial ingredients include:
Sugar
In almost all candy products, one of the first few ingredients is Sugar. Sugar is a controversial product in the vegan community because refined cane sugar is processed with bone char to achieve the pure white color. The sugar itself does not contain any bone char particles, but is not vegan due to the processing methods used. Since the type of sugar is typically not stated, it is assumed to be vegan in this analysis. If you choose to avoid non-vegan sugars than all of the products in this analysis should be avoided. A full rundown on if sugar is vegan can be found in our article titled “Is Your Sugar Vegan? Lets Find Out!“
Palm Oil and Palm Fat
Palm oil is a controversial vegan ingredient not because it is animal-derived, but because the cultivation of palm oil has devastating environmental impacts and harms many animals. You can learn more about palm oil in our article titled “Is Palm Oil Vegan?“
Natural and Artificial Flavorings
Natural flavors can come from both animal or plant sources, but the natural flavors in candies are typically from plant sources. Those natural flavors from animal-origin will be highlighted if known.
Colors
Some food colors are controversial in the vegan community. This is because food colors are often tested on animals. In this article we assume all food colors are vegan, unless the color itself is from an animal or insect origin (e.g. Carmine).
Original SweeTarts
Original SweeTarts Ingredients
Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Malic Acid, and Less Than 2% of Calcium Stearate, Natural Flavors, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake. [Source]
Are Original SweeTarts Vegan?
Yes! The Original SweeTarts are vegan-friendly! The only ingredients that may be of concern for vegans are those listed in the controversial ingredients section above. The Easter shaped SweeTarts (Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies) are also vegan.
Chewy SweeTarts
Chewy SweeTarts Ingredients
Dextrose, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Maltodextrin, and Less than 2% of Malic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Egg Albumen, Natural Flavors, Mono- and Diglycerides, Carnauba Wax, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake. [Source]
Are Chewy SweeTarts Vegan?
Unfortunately, all varieties of Chewy SweeTarts (Mini Chewy – Regular and Berries & Cherries, Extreme Sour Chewy, and Giant Chewy) contain “Egg Albumen” which is more commonly known as Egg Whites. As eggs are a animal-derived produced, they are not vegan-friendly. Therefore, all varieties of Chewy SweeTarts are NOT vegan.
SweeTarts Gummies
SweeTarts Gummies Ingredients
Gummies: Glucose Syrup (from Corn or Wheat), Sugar, Gelatin, Potato Starch, Malic Acid, Less Than 2% of Tartaric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Ascorbate, Citric Acid, Spirulina Extract Color, Fruit and Vegetable Juice Color, Paprika Oleoresin Color, Beta-Carotene Color, Turmeric Oleoresin Color. [Source]
Soft Bites: Sugar, Glucose Syrup (from Corn or Wheat), Pectin, Sodium Citrate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, and less Than 2% of Natural Flavors, Vegetable juice Color, Paprika Oleoresin Color, Beta-Carotene Color. [Source]
Whipped & Tangy: Sugar, Glucose Syrup (from Corn, or Wheat), Gelatin, and Less than 2% of Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Natural Flavors, Fruit and Vegetable Juice Color, Spirulina Extract Color, Paprika Oleoresin Color, Turmeric Oleoresin Color, Beta-Carotene Color. [Source]
Are SweeTarts Gummies Vegan?
SweeTarts produces four varieties of soft gummy candies: Gummies, Sour Gummies, Soft Bites, and Whipped & Tangy. Of the four, three of them (Gummies, Sour Gummies, Whipped & Tangy) SweeTarts contain Gelatin. Gelatin “is a protein procured by boiling animal skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and/or bones in water. It’s usually obtained from cows, pigs, or fish” according to Peta. As Gelatin is a animal-derived ingredient, it is usually not considered to be vegan or vegetarian. Therefore, SweeTarts Gummies, Sour Gummies and Whipped & Tangy candies are NOT vegan.
However, the SweeTarts Soft Bites are made with plant-based pectin instead of gelatin. As such, SweeTarts Soft Bites ARE vegan!
SweeTarts Ropes
SweeTarts Ropes Ingredients
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Water, and Less Than 2% of Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Glycerin, Malic Acid, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Juice Color, Confectioner’s Glaze (Lac-Resin), Salt, Spirulina Extract Color, Beta-Carotene Color, Turmeric Oleoresin Color. [Source]
Are SweeTarts Ropes Vegan?
Unfortunately, SweeTarts Ropes contain both Gelatin and Confectioner’s Glaze (Lac-Resin). Gelatin “is a protein procured by boiling animal skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and/or bones in water. It’s usually obtained from cows, pigs, or fish” according to Peta. According to Wikipedia, Confectioner‘s Glaze (aka Shellac) is made from the secretions of female lac bugs found in India and Thailand. As Shellac/Confectioner’s Glaze is a insect-derived ingredient and Gelatin is a animal-derieved product, both are usually not considered to be vegan friendly. Therefore, SweeTarts Ropes are NOT vegan-friendly.
Additional SweeTarts FAQs
At this time, none of the SweeTarts products are labeled gluten-free. It is also believed that all SweeTarts products are manufactured in the same facility so cross-contamination could occur as some SweeTarts products contain gluten. However, the Original SweeTarts and Chewy SweeTarts are both free from gluten-containing ingredients. Therefore Original and Chewy SweeTarts should be safe for those with low sensitivity, but someone with high sensitivity to gluten should avoid SweeTarts products to be safe.
SweeTarts products are NOT certified Kosher.
All of the SweeTarts products are free from peanut and tree nut ingredients. Therefore, SweeTarts should be suitable for those with peanut and tree nut sensitivities.
SweeTarts products are all free from dairy-based ingredients and should be safe for those that follow a diary-free lifestyle.
Summary
Based on this analysis, the Original SweeTarts and SweeTarts Soft Bitess are the only SweeTarts products that are vegan-friendly. The remaining SweeTarts products contain egg whites, gelatin, or confectioner’s glaze.
If you liked this article, you can read about other vegan snack options here.
