Do Sour Patch Kids Have Gelatin? Honest Review

The Sour Patch Kids is a popular candy for its perfect balance of sweet and sour taste. But it raises concerns among the vegan eaters. This leads to the question Do Sour Patch Kids Have Gelatin? In case you do not know, gelatin is derived from animal-based products. 

Here, we will break down the mystery behind Sour Patch Kids’ secret ingredient to find out if it is vegan-friendly or not. Keep reading!

What Is Gelatin and Why Is It Used in Candies Like Sour Patch Kids?

Gelatin is a colourless, translucent, flavourless protein derived from animal collagen. It is primarily used in food, drugs (capsules) and cosmetics for its thickening and gelling abilities. 

Gelatin can form elasticity. Candy brands like Sour Patch Kids use gelatin to give the gel shapes and textures. Here are the core 3 reasons for gelatin usage in candies: 

• Shape retention: The gel formation properties ensure that the candy maintains its unique shapes after hardening and even when bitten. 

• Texture: This ingredient offers a distinct chewy or rubbery texture that sets candies apart from other toffees. 

• Versatility: This ingredient comes in different forms, from powders to sheets. This makes it easier for candy manufacturers to handle the binding at various temperatures. 

Do Sour Patch Kids Have Gelatin?

The jelly-like texture and chewy texture may lead to the prediction that the Sour Patch Kids contains gelatin. But NO, not all gummies from this brand contain gelatin. They have separated the vegan and non-vegan candies into different variants. We will discuss the vegan variants afterwards. 

But Why Is Gelatin a Problem?

Gelatin is a protein derived from animal collagen and it is mainly used on candies and gummies to get the jelly textures. This ingredient is obtained by boiling bones, skins, and connective tissues of some animals like pigs, cows, and fishes. 

The process of making gelatin includes animal exploitation, vegan people strictly avoid the intake of the ingredient. The absence of gelatin on Sour Patch Kids’ ingredient list does not indicate that the sour candies are completely vegan. Keep reading to find it below.

What Gelatin Alternative Does They Use?

The Sour Patch Kids brand has not publicly announced that it sells vegan candies. However, the presence of corn syrup and cornstarch on the ingredient list indicates that they bind the mixture together. 

Other vegan alternatives like agar agar and carrageenan might be used on Sour Patch Kids to thicken the mixture and create a jelly-like texture. So, you must keep an eye on the ingredient list just to be sure. 

Does Gelatin Make Sour Patch Kids Chewy?

The answer to this question is straight, NO. Genalin does not make the Sour Patch Kids candies chewy as the standard process of the candy making does not include gelatin. The manufacturer uses other alternatives like corn syrup and modifies corn starch to get a chewy texture. 

Due to the absence of gelatin and any animal byproducts, it is considered vegan in the USA market. But is Sour Patch Kids really vegan? We will discuss this in the next point. 

What Are the Ingredients Used to Make Sour Patch Kids?

Now that you know there is no gelatin used to make the Sour Patch Kids candies, it is essential to understand the rundown of original ingredients:

• Sugar 
• Corn syrup and glucose syrup 
• Corn starch 
• Tartaric acid and citric acid
• Artificial and natural flavourings 
• Artificial food colourings
• Titanium dioxide

Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan?

If you are judging this question by the answer “Do Sour Patch Kids Have Gelatin?” Let me clarify. These candies may not contain gelatin but there are other ingredients of concern for vegans. 

Sugar 

Whether sugar is vegan or not is a fiery topic of debate. Though it is typically extracted from cane sugar or beets, some manufacturers use the non-vegan process using animal products. Many use bone char, made from animal bones, to whiten or filter the cane sugar. 

Unfortunately, the Sour Patch Kids do not specify the exact source of their sugar. It is a grey area for vegan people that comes down as a personal choice. 

Artificial Colourings

You have probably tasted the mouth-watering Sour Patch Kids candies which come in different bright colours. Those colours are made from artificial food colourings such as Yellow 6 and Blue 1. It is a concern for the vegan eaters. 

They are not directly made from animal products but are tested on animals. Animal testing is a big concern for the vegan realm and it is a straight no-go. 

Note: For some people, Sour Patch Kids is an accidentally vegan-friendly food choice as the details are not listed on the label. If you decide you are comfortable with the plant-based ingredients, there is no judgment here. 

However, if you have a strict vegan lifestyle, I recommend you to search for specifically vegan alternatives that use organic sugar and plant-based natural colourings. There are a lot of candy manufacturers who mention all vegan ingredients in use for transparency. 

When Sour Patch Kids Are Non-Vegan?

Though the Sour Patch Kids candies made in the USA are considered vegan food by many for non-gelatin formation, it is not vegan in the UK. The UK-made Sour Patch candies contain gelatin. 

Here are the factors you need to consider while to identify the non-vegan candies: 

• Gelatin 

Gelatin is used as an active ingredient for the jelly-like texture in the UK-made Sour Patch Kids. Gelatin is truly grim for vegan eaters and is best to avoid if you plan to follow a strict vegan lifestyle. 

• Palm Oil 

Palm oil is itself a plant-based ingredient. However, the industry follows a devastating practice to process it. When it comes to animal abuse, this product should not be taken lightly. Analysis shows that some Sour Patch Kids flavours contain palm oil.  

• Animal Testing

Apart from gelatin and cane sugar, there are no such ingredients that contain animal byproducts. However, the dyes that are used to add artificial colourings to the candies are sometimes tested on animals. The colours to make Sour Patch Kids candies like Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Red 40 are tested on animals. 

Note: The lifestyle of a vegan is all about reducing the harm to animals and boycotting animal byproducts. The UK-made Sour Patch Kids candies are not appropriate for vegan eaters.

Which Variants of These Candies Are Vegan?

Let’s check the list of accidentally vegan Sour Patch Kids candy variants for vegan persons  (please make sure always to check the ingredient list for reassurance):

• Sour Patch Xploderz
• Tropical Sour Patch Kids
• X-Themed Sour Patch
• Sour Patch Chillerz 
• Xmas Sour Patch Kids
• Peach Sour Patch
• Sour Patch Bunnies
• Blue Raspberry Sour Patch
• Cherry Sour Patch
• Sour Apple Sour Patch Kids
• Sour Patch Connectors

Are There Any Vegan Gelatin Available?

There is no accurate term for Vegan Gelatin. However, some manufacturers offer Veg Gelatins that are perfect for vegetarians and act as a great thickener. Other alternatives of gelatin are suitable for strict vegan lifestyle followers. 

While gelatin is derived from animal collagen, the alternatives are derived from plant-based products such as seaweed extracts:

• Pectin- from specific fruits
• Agar agar- from algae
• Konjac- from the konjac root. 

Final Thoughts

The answer to the question Do Sour Patch Kids Have Gelatin is clear. Though there is no gelatin present in the candies, some other animal-harming processes raise grey areas. 

The in-depth ingredient analysis of Sour Patch Kids highlights some critical factors that are enough to avoid these candies if you follow a strict vegan diet. 

Less strict individuals can consider the US-manufactured Sour Patch Kids as an accidental vegan food depending on personal choices. It is all about how flexible you are willing to be. You can also find better vegan options available on the market that are more transparent about their ingredient lists with the plant-based diet followers. 

So, what are your thoughts on it? Share through the comment box below and suggest which vegan food you want me to investigate next.