Now and Laters are a chewy, long lasting taffy-like candy that come in a variety of flavors. They are similar to Starburst in that they are rectangular, fruity, chewy candies that are individually wrapped. 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. Some varieties of Now and Later candy do contain gelatin and egg whites while other ones do not. Let's find out more.
There are 16 flavors of Now and Laters but not every variety comes in every flavor. The 16 flavors are Strawberry, Tropical Punch, Watermelon, Wild Berry, Apple, Banana, Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Grape, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Mango, Pineapple, and Pink Lemonade. But which varieties are 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 and 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. The regular Shell Shocked come in apple, cherry, strawberry, grape and banana flavors. The Sour Shell Shocked come in sour apple, watermelon and cherry flavors. Unfortunately, the Shell Shocked varieties contain gelatin which is not a vegan ingredient.
Shell Shocked Ingredients: SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), GELATIN, ACACIA, RED 40, YELLOW 5, CARNUBA WAX, WHITE MINERAL OIL, CORNSTARCHM BLUE 1, TBHQ
- 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
The Now and Later Extreme Sour Mix comes in sour apple, cherry and watermelon. Unfortunately, the Extreme Sour Mix contains egg whites and is therefor NOT VEGAN.
Extreme Sour Mix Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, PECTIN, CORN STARCH, FUMARIC ACIT, SALT, EGG WHITES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTATO STARCH, RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1
Now and Later Splits Mix
Now and Later Splits combine two flavors in one piece of candy. They come in lemon-lime, lemon-strawberry, and lemon-blue raspberry flavors. The Now and Later Splits contain egg whites and are NOT VEGAN.
Splits Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, SALT, EGG WHITES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, POTATO STARCH, SOYBEAN LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), YELLOW 5, RED 40, BLUE 1
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
Chewy Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, EGG WHITES, SALT, POTATO STARCH, SOYBEAN LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, BLUE 2
Now and Later History
While Now and Laters aren't the most popular candy out there, they were actually created back in 1962 in New York City in the United States. They've been around for 60 years! The name itself has two meanings. First, the idea is that if you ate one you'd like it now and you'd also want more later. Second, because they are so extremely chewy, you'd be eating one now and still eating it later.
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:
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