Sour patch kids are a popular candy having a sweet center with a sour coating. Due to its unique sweet and tangy taste, sour patch vegan is one of the most liked chewing candies worldwide.
This candy is available in various flavors like lime, orange, mango, raspberry, etc. However, the most popular flavor is blueberry.
According to some people, sour patch kids contain some animal-derived ingredients that make the vegan community curious to know whether these gummies are vegan or not.
Well, that’s true. Sour patch kids are non-vegan. Apparently, these gummies do not contain gelatin or any other animal-derived ingredient but still, they are not classified as a vegan treat because of some ingredients like sugar, artificial flavors & colors, which are still controversial.
In this article, we have compiled everything about sour patch kids. We’ll answer the queries like, is sour patch kids vegan? What are the ingredients of sour patch kids? Does it contain gelatin?
Furthermore, we’ll share about the varieties of sour patch kids and some vegan candy alternatives.
If you are interested to learn more about sour patch kids, keep reading the article below. Let’s have a look
What are sour patch kids?
Sour patch kids are chewing candies with a sweet center and a tart tangy coating outside.
This candy is available in several yummy flavors like raspberry, lime, pineapple, strawberry, orange, and mango. Also, it comes in a watermelon shape and taste.
However, the most liked flavor is blue raspberry because of its high demand among kids and adults.
Moreover, the sour patch kids are available in some exciting variants such as fire and chillers.
In the fire variant, you will feel a bit of heat in your mouth after every bite, whereas in chillers, you will feel the freshness of mint.
What are the ingredients of sour patch kids?
To determine whether the sour patch kids are vegan or not, the ingredients that are used to make this versatile chewing candy are listed below;
- Citric acid
- Sugar
- Inverted sugar
- Artificial and natural flavors
- Modified corn starch
- Tartaric acid
- Cane syrup
- Colors; yellow 6, red 40, blue 1, and yellow 5
All these ingredients are vegan-friendly because they are derived from plant sources instead of animals.
However, some ingredients like sugar, natural and artificial flavors and chewy texture are still controversial because different manufacturing companies use different components to make this tasty snack.
Do sour patch kids contain gelatin?
No, sour patch kids don’t contain gelatin instead, many manufacturing companies use sugar and cornstarch to give the candy a chewy texture.
Gelatin is made by boiling the skin, tendons, and ligaments of cows and pigs which makes it a non-vegan product. So, many sour patch companies worldwide use alternative methods to give the candy a chewy texture.
However, there are still some manufacturing companies that use gelatin as the main ingredient for making sour patch kids.
Are sour patch kids vegan?
No, sour patch kids are not completely vegan. This candy apparently, doesn’t contain Gelatin or any animal-derived ingredients. However, it is still not vegan-friendly.
Ingredients like sugar, artificial and natural flavors, colors, etc that are used to make sour patch kids are not 100% plant-derived.
Are sour punch straws vegan?
Yes, sour punch straws are vegan. Sour punch straws are made up of the same ingredients as other sour patch kids variants. But it differs in only one element, which is glycerin.
Like other naturally derived ingredients, glycerin is derived from plant sources. So, it is vegan-friendly.
Glycerin gives sour punch straws a perfectly soft and chewy texture which makes them an ideal snack for kids and adults.
Are sour patch watermelons vegan?
Yes, sour patch watermelon is vegan. This sweet & sour candy has a watermelon shape with watermelon flavor and smell.
Sour patch watermelon contains an additional ingredient called titanium dioxide, a naturally occurring earth mineral.
Unsurprisingly, titanium dioxide gives the candy a smooth, soft texture and enhances the storage period of these sweet gummies.
Why aren’t sour patch kids classified as vegan?
When you buy a pack of sour patch kids, it has a list of ingredients. When you read the list of ingredients, it contains almost all plant-derived ingredients. Though, this candy is still not vegan-friendly.
According to some people, the artificial color, flavor, and sugar used to make these gummies are not 100% plant-derived ingredients.
Ingredients
Here are some ingredients of sour patch kids that makes this candy non-vegan;
Gelatin
Gelatin is made from tendons, ligaments, and the skin of animals like cows and pigs which makes it a non-vegan product.
While buying a product, vegans search for the ingredients, and if it contains gelatin, they refuse to buy it, especially when purchasing puddings, jellies, candies, etc.
If we stick to the topic, gelatin is not an ingredient for sour patch kids. Many vegan companies use cornstarch and corn syrups to produce the chewy texture of the candy.
However, different companies manufacture sour patch kids worldwide and use different ingredients for making the candy. So, we can’t say that they do not include gelatin.
Sugar
Some vegans claim that sugar is a non-vegan ingredient because companies prefer to use bone char in the sugar refining process.
That’s why they classified sour patch kids as non-vegan-friendly candies because sugar is a major ingredient that is used for making candies.
That’s not 100% true because companies use inverted sugar to make candies, which is a combination of dextrose and fructose. So, gummies made from inverted sugar are vegan.
Artificial colors and flavors
Most companies use artificial flavors and colors to give these candies a yummy taste.
To make different flavors of fruits, manufacturers use combinations of acids and esters, having a fruity smell and taste. For colors, manufacturers use other techniques.
The artificial colors are tested on animals to see whether they cause any health issues. If these colors are not suitable for health, tumors appear in animals, and they die.
Due to the testing of color on animals, vegans consider sour patch kids a non-vegan product.
Why do vegans eat sour patch kids?
Some vegans love to eat sour patch kids despite its controversial ingredients because of its unique flavor, sweet and tangy taste, and chewy texture.
Secondly, there is no animal-derived ingredient in sour patch kids, which is a prominent reason why vegans eat this candy.
Is the sugar used in sour patch kids vegan friendly?
It varies significantly because some companies use a cane sugar and beet mixture to give sour patch kids a sweet taste. However, some use sugar which contains bone char which is not a vegan-friendly product.
Therefore, it is pretty difficult to decide whether the sugar used in sour patch kids is vegan-friendly or not.
Frequently Asked Question
Wrap up
Sour patch kids are flavourful gummies with a soft, sweet center and a sour coating. This chewing candy is popular among children and adults.
This tasty candy is available in several flavors so you can enjoy your favorite one. The best flavor is blue raspberry.
Sour patch kids contain plant-derived ingredients like cornstarch, cane syrup, sugar, artificial flavors & colors, tartaric acid, etc. still it is not classified as a vegan-friendly product.
However, if you are not comfortable with this delight’s ingredients, you can buy other healthy alternatives from the market.