Do you want to satisfy your sweet tooth while sticking to a vegan diet? Before you grab a bag of Skittles, it's important to double check the label. They are a popular treat, but are Skittles vegan? Yes, Skittles are vegan-friendly.
Let's check out the ingredients list for each of the Skittles flavors below. All ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Skittles website.
Past Non-Vegan Ingredients
While Skittles are now vegan-friendly, this wasn't always true. Before 2010, Skittles contained gelatin which is made from boiling animal bones, tendons and other parts. Luckily they got rid of the gelatin.
But gelatin wasn't the only non-vegan ingredient. Until 2015, Skittles also contained a red coloring called carmine. Carmine is made from beetles and is not vegan. The good news is that Skittles no longer contain the red coloring made from bugs.
Flavors of Skittles
The classic kind of Skittles is chewy and full of fruity flavors. They come in many varieties.
NOTE: Lime flavor is back! Lime was replaced by green apple in the Original flavors back in 2013 but now has returned.
- Original Flavors - Strawberry, Lime, Lemon, Orange and Grape
- Wild Berry Flavors - Berry Punch, Strawberry, Melon Berry, Wild Cherry and Raspberry
- Sour Flavors - Sour Strawberry, Sour Green Apple, Sour Lemon, Sour Orange and Sour Grape
- Brightside Flavors - Tangerine, Paradise Punch, Watermelon, Pink Lemonade and Banana Kiwi
- Smoothies Flavors - Strawberry Banana, Raspberry, Blueberry, Peach Guava and Mango
- Tropical Flavors - Banana Berry, Kiwi Lime, Mango Tangelo, Pineapples Passionfruit, and Strawberry Star
Skittles Ingredients
Now that we know all of the flavors, let's check out the ingredients listed below. All flavors of Skittles are vegan-friendly!
- Original Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.
- Wild Berry Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Carnauba Wax.
- Sour Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Tapioca Dextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Modified Corn Starch, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Blue 1 Lake), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.
- Brightside Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Color (Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1), Carnauba Wax.
- Smoothies Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Titanium Dioxide), Carnauba Wax.
- Tropical Skittles Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Colors (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Blue 1, Yellow 6, Red 40), Carnauba Wax.
The good news is that regular chewy Skittles do not contain any animal ingredients and can fit in with a vegan diet.
Are Skittles Banned in Other Countries?
As of August 7, 2022, Europe banned the use of titanium dioxide in their foods. Skittles sold in the United States does contain titanium dioxide which is a color additive. But, the Skittles sold in grocery stores in the UK do not have titanium oxide on their ingredient list.
So Skittles can still be sold in Europe as long as it's the version that does not contain titanium dioxide. One has to wonder why an ingredient that has the potential to be toxic is still included in the US version if there are other safer versions out there.
FAQ
Do Skittles have gelatin?
No, regular Skittles do not have gelatin.
Are Skittles dairy free?
Yes, Skittles are dairy free.
Are Sour Skittles vegan?
Yes! The popular Sour Skittles are vegan. Skittles used to contain gelatin but they no longer do.
Are Skittles healthy?
Unfortunately, no. The main ingredients are corn syrup, sugar and hydrogenated palm oil which are all unhealthy ingredients. They are also full of food coloring, artificial flavorings, and other controversial ingredients.
Is sugar vegan?
Some vegans worry about white sugar because of the use of bone char. According to Peta.org, "Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color."
So cane sugar doesn't technically contain any animal products. But, the desire for sugar to have a pure white color makes some companies use animals bones in the production of it. It's up to you whether or not you consume regular sugar but some strict vegans choose to avoid it.
Are Skittles gluten-free?
Yes! Skittles are gluten-free.
Are red Skittles vegan?
Yes. Red Skittles used to contain carmine (a red dye made from crushed beetles) but they no longer do. Red Skittles are vegan!
Are Skittles made from bugs?
This may seem like a weird question but many types of candy with shiny coatings contain confectioner's glaze which is made from beetle secretions. Luckily, Skittles does not contain confectioner's glaze and is not made from bugs.
Summary
Are Skittles vegan? Although they do contain some questionable ingredients, the chewy fruit flavors of Skittles do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and can be considered a vegan candy. If you need to satisfy a sweet tooth, Skittles can can be a sweet option.
Wondering if other types of candy are vegan? Check out:
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