What Sweets are Vegan?

What Are Vegan Sweets?

Vegan sweets are made using products that do not derive from animals – they offer a plant-based alternative, free from gelatine or any other animal products. In most cases vegan sweets are clearly labelled, however some confusion can occur with ingredients that are suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans, for example, honey, beeswax or dairy powder.

Are All Sweets Vegan Friendly?

The majority of sweets are not vegan friendly; however, this market is expanding. Due to changes to lifestyle habits and choices, there is an increasing variety of plant-based alternatives to indulge our sweet cravings.

Animal Derived Products

What Is Gelatine?

Gelatine is commonly found ingredient in sweets, it is made from processed animal bones, cartilage and skin often obtained from cows or pigs. It is not only widely used in the confectionary industry but also in the cosmetic industry.

During the manufacturing process of gelatine, collagen - a fibrous protein substance that connects muscles, bones – is extracted from the animal parts and this is transformed into gelatine. Gelatine is a flavourless, colourless and a jelly-like substance used as a gelling agent to bond sweet ingredients together and provide their texture and consistency. It also raises the melting temperature therefore offering a longer shelf life.

Gelatine is gluten free and also high in protein and amino acids.

What Are Cochineal Bugs?

Cochineal bugs are small oval shaped insects that have been harvested for centuries and turned into natural dyes for food, confectionary, textiles and cosmetics. These bugs produce carminic acid, a natural bright red colour that makes a highly effective dye.

Alternatives To Gelatine

Agar Agar

This flavourless jelly like substance comes from the cell walls of red algae – it is widely used in Asia and is one of the most common gelatine substitutes in the confectionary industry.

Pectin

Pectin is a fibre found in the cell walls of certain fruits, when heated it forms a thick gel like substance.

Carrageen

This comes from dried red seaweed and is similar to algae in consistency. Carrageenan is sometimes referred to as Irish Moss, it is often used in the commercial food industry.

Vegan Food Dyes

Vegan food dyes are derived from plants - there are numerous alternatives available on the market to using animal-based food dyes for confectionary.

What Sweets are Vegan?

We offer a range of quality vegan pick and mix sweets that are sourced from premium sweet manufacturers such as Haribo and Kingsway. We offer a wide choice of flavours including the following:

• Cherry Cola Bottles – A simple, yet classic favourite, similar to the cola bottle.
• Fizzy Cherries - Cherry shaped with a fizzy coating.
• Sour Apples - Sour tasting apple flavour sweets.
• Fizzy Strawberries - Large red pick and mix gummy sweet in a strawberry shape.
• Sour Dummies – Simple but with a great taste.
• Tongue Painters - A twist on our popular tongue painter sweets covered with a sour coating that will also turn your tongue blue.
• Melon Slices – Sour sweet in the shape of a watermelon slice.
• Meerkats and Mermaids – Pink and blue with a bubble gum taste and the mermaid shape.
• Blue Babies – Sour sweet with a Raspberry flavour.

Our Guarantee to You

Our online vegan pick and mix allows you to build your own selection. All sweets are kept in air-tight sealed containers and only packed once each order is received to guarantee optimum freshness. Gloves, hairnets and masks are worn, and scoops used to pack your chosen sweets into resealable pouches to help keep your pick and mix fresh over a longer period of time.

We stock a wide range of dietary requirements, including not only vegan but Halal, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free. For more information on our products, get in touch today.