When you think of candy, meat doesn’t generally come to mind as one of the ingredients, but you would be surprised to know that many sweets contain meat derived ingredients.
One of the main ingredients in candies is gelatin. Gelatin is a protein that comes from collagen which is in the bones, skin and connective tissues. It is most often derived from pigs, and used as a stabilizing agent for gummy and chewy candies.
If you are vegan, and are aware of the fact that some candies have gelatin, you might be wondering if your favorite Skittles contains pork or uses gelatin derived from pigs.
Well, continue reading for the answer below.
Do Skittles Contain Gelatin (Is There Pork In Them?)
The manufacturers of skittles list their ingredients as sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, less than 2% of: citric acid, tapioca dextrin, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, colors (titanium dioxide, red 40 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 2 lake, blue 1, blue 1 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40), sodium citrate, carnauba wax.
As you can see, from the list of ingredients, there’s no gelatin in Skittles. While earlier versions of the snack were thought to have gelatin, skittles have gone through many reformulations to make the product better. The manufacturers therefore market their reformulated product as vegan. This means if pork is your worry, then you are good to go.
Are Skittles Good For You?
While there may be no pork in skittles, this does not mean that the product is healthy or good for you. Skittles are high in sugar – specifically white refined sugar. The candy has approximately 21 grams of sugar per pack. To place this in context, the American Heart Association suggests that you consume no more than 24 grams of sugar each day.
While there may be no animal products in skittles, this does not mean that the product is healthy or good for you. Skittles are high in sugar – specifically white refined sugar. The candy has approximately 21 grams of sugar per pack. To place this in context, the American Heart Association suggests that you consume no more than 24 grams of sugar each day.
Skittles also contains corn syrup which while it adds flavor, is also considered an unhealthy additive. Another controversial additive in skittles is palm oil. Palm oil is thought to be a major drive of deforestation, negatively impacting forests across the world. Some environmentalists blame the farming of palm oil for the destruction of the habitat of endangered species. Palm production is also said to contribute to greenhouse gasses that drive climate change.
In the United Kingdom, skittles also had other animal products in addition to gelatin. Up until about 2015, skittles made in the UK had carmine which is a red color made from a beetle. Add in other ingredients such as tapioca dextrin (a starchy additive), modified corn starch, unspecified natural and artificial flavors, a host of artificial colors, sodium citrate, and carnauba wax, and you really begin to question how unhealthy this snack could be. But as with everything else, a bite or two of skittles here and there should not hurt. Consuming with moderation is key
Wrapping it up
Basically, skittles have no pork in them, but they haven’t always been vegan. Around 2010 they reformulated and released the current version of the product which is free of animal ingredients.
This however does not mean that skittles are totally healthy, as it does have a bunch of artificial ingredients and dyes. So if you’re looking for a healthy snack, you may need to look elsewhere.
