Now and Laters are chewy, taffy-like candies that come in a variety of flavors. But is Now and Later candy vegan? The good news is that the original flavors of the popular candies are in fact vegan! While chewy and gummy candies don't usually contain dairy, they can contain gelatin and confectioner’s glaze which are not vegan. Let's take a look at the Now and Later Original Mix full ingredients list. All of the ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Now and Later website.
Original Mix Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, BLUE 2.
These ingredients do not contain animal products so can fit in with a vegan diet. But what about the other varieties?
Now and Later Morphs
The Now and Later Morphs change flavor as you chew and come in four different flavors: cherry/mango, lemon lime/strawberry, grape/watermelon, and blue raspberry. Let's check out the ingredients.
Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN (AN EMULSIFIER), RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, YELLOW 6, BLUE 2
These ingredients can be considered vegan!
Now and Later Originals
So the Original Mix is vegan. But what about all the other flavors? Let's check out the options.
- Now and Later Tropic Rush - vegan
- Now and Later Berry Smash - vegan
All three of the Now and Later Originals (Original Mix, Tropic Rush, and Berry Smash) do not contain any animal ingredients.
Now and Later Shell Shocked
These candies are smaller than the original chews and have a candy coating. They come in 2 varieties - regular and sour. Unfortunately, the Shell Shocked varieties contain gelatin which is not a vegan ingredient.
- Now and Later Shell Shocked - contain gelatin and are NOT VEGAN
- Now and Later Sour Shell Shocked - contain gelatin and are NOT VEGAN
Are you wondering what gelatin is and why vegans don't consume it? According to Peta.org, "Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs. Gelatin is used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics; as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (such as Jell-O); in candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts; on photographic film; and in vitamins as a coating and as capsules, and it is sometimes used to assist in “clearing” wines. Gelatin is not vegan."
Now and Later Extreme Sour Mix
Unfortunately, the Extreme Sour Mix contains egg whites and is therefore NOT VEGAN.
Now and Later Splits Mix
The Now and Later Splits contain egg whites and are NOT VEGAN.
Now and Later Chewy
While the original recipe is already chewy, this variety is even chewier! But is it vegan?
- Now and Later Original Chew Mix - contain egg whites and are NOT VEGAN
- Now and Later Berry Smash Chewy - contain egg whites and are NOT VEGAN
Other Vegan Fruity Candy
Do you have a sweet tooth and are interested in other fruity chewy candy made with vegan ingredients? The following popular vegan candies are easy to find in most grocery stores:
- Twizzlers
- Airheads
- Sour Patch Kids
- Laffy Taffy (fun-sized only)
- Dots
- Jujubes
- Sour Big Chewy Nerds
- Swedish Fish (some contain beeswax so check the list of ingredients)
- Jujyfruits
Are you interested in fruity hard candy? The following hard candies are vegan-friendly:
- Jolly Ranchers
- Charms Blow Pops
- Dum Dums
- Fun Dip
- Fireballs
- Smarties
- Ring Pops
- Pez
Summary
The good news is that some varieties of the chewy candies are vegan. Both Now and Later Morphs and Now and Later Originals (Original Mix, Berry Smash, and Tropic Rush flavors) do not contain any animal products. Unfortunately, the other varieties of Now and Later candies are not vegan including Chewy, Splits, Extreme Sour, and Shell Shocked as they contain either egg whites or gelatin. Luckily, there is a good variety of vegan candy options out there.
Wondering if other kinds of fruity candy are vegan? Check out: