As a vegetarian, finding out what candy you can and cannot eat requires a little research. That’s why you’re here, right? Well, you have come to the right place. Today, we are going to examine a national favorite – Haribo Gummy Bears, and their eligibility as a vegetarian treat.
So, are Haribo Gummy Bears vegetarian? Unfortunately, Haribo gummy bears are not vegetarian. This product contains pork gelatin, shellac, carmine, and bone char, all of which make them unsuitable.
Regardless of your dietary choices, everyone wants a sweet treat now and again.
While there are many vegetarian products that are easily determinable as off the menu, most candies require a much deeper dive into to figure out if they’re up for eating.
Here’s the down-low on these delicious little bears!
Can Vegetarians Have Gummy Bears?
Vegetarians can have some brands of gummy bears, but not all. It depends on the ingredients used. Haribo Gummy bears are one such example that is unfortunately off-limits.
Ultimately, it’s going to come down to the product.
This means you do need to be a little mindful, and it’s also why you should always check.
Thankfully, manufacturers are required by law to state all ingredients explicitly and clearly on the packaging.
So you can always look to see if there are any non-vegetarian ingredients included.
Now, the ingredients to look out for specifically that could make these candies inappropriate are gelatin, shellac, carmine, and bone char.
All of which are derived from animals in one way or another. None of them are nice!
These animal ingredients aid in adding flavor to gummy, changing the color, or creating a thickening agent to hold the gummy together.
It’s why vegetarian gummies typically taste a little different, by the way.
Nevertheless, check product packaging first and foremost.
Typically, there should be a “suitable for vegetarians” or “vegetarian-friendly” logo for all products that comply.
What Haribo Products Are Vegetarian?
Haribo products that are suitable for vegetarians include:
- Haribo Funny-Mix,
- Haribo Giant Strawbs,
- Haribo Jelly Beans,
- Haribo Rainbow Twists,
- Haribo Sour Rainbow Twists,
- Haribo Sour Rainbow Spaghetti,
- Haribo Freaky Fish,
- Haribo Giant Trees,
- Haribo Starbeams,
- Haribo Sour Sparks,
- Haribo Berries,
- Haribo Rotella
- Haribo Sour Rainbow Strips.
Thankfully there are quite a few Haribo products that are vegetarian!
Now, you’re probably wondering how they do this.
Well, although some Haribo products contain pork or beef gelatin, a few of them use starch instead.
Beware of their classic candies like Starmix, Tangfastics, or Cola Bottles. However, these are strictly non-vegetarian!
What Other Gummy Bear Products Are Vegetarian?
Some of the most popular gummy bear alternatives for vegetarians are:
- Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers Candy,
- Goody Good Stuff Bears Fruit Pack,
- Annie’s Organic Gummy Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Surf Sweets Organic Vegan Fruity Bears.
ALL of these brands listed above, in addition to being vegetarian, are also vegan friendly as well.
This is just to name a few, as there are hundreds of brands that are gummy bear options for vegetarians.
What Other Candy Products Are Vegetarian?
There are many vegetarian candy products!
When looking for vegetarian candies, simply make sure that you are looking for and avoiding any products that include the main ingredients listed, including gelatin, shellac, carmine, and bone char.
If you see any questionable ingredients, be sure to check online or directly with the manufacturer for further information!
Are Haribo Gummy Bears Vegan?
Haribo gummy bears are not vegan. This is because they contain gelatin, an ingredient derived from pigs.
Now, here’s something to consider.
Even some Haribo sweets labeled as vegetarian are not labeled or even suitable for vegans.
This is because, for some products, there is a risk of cross-contamination within the factories Haribo products are produced in.
So it ultimately has to do with where and how they are produced.
It’s also why you need to check packaging carefully and not make any assumptions.
In the case of Haribo gummy bears, they do not first meet the standards to be vegetarian, so naturally, they cannot be vegan.
Talking vegan-specifically, Haribo gummies contain even more ingredients off-limits.
Red 40 dye is one such example.
Made from insects such as the female lac bug or the porphyrophora species, this dye is not natural as it harms millions of insects every year.
Additionally, Carnauba wax is an ingredient contained in Haribo gummy bears.
This wax is not considered vegan due to the exploitation of both humans and animals that occurs during its production in native Brazil.
What Haribo Products Are Vegan?
The variation of Haribo products that are vegan varies by country. For the USA, the vegan options available are Sour Bites, Haribo Watermelon, Haribo Sour Streamers, and Haribo Sour S’ghetti.
This differs by country, so be sure to look online to see what vegan options are available in your neck of the woods.
It is also possible to find more vegan products from other countries if there is a certain Haribo candy you like and have them shipped to you!
What Other Candy Products Are Vegan?
In short, there are loads of candy products that are vegan! Here we list a bunch of candies that are both vegetarian and vegan:
- Airheads,
- Atomic Fireballs,
- Big League Chew,
- Bottle Caps,
- Brach’s Lemon Drops,
- Charms Blow Pops,
- Chick-O-Stick,
- Cocomels,
- DOTS,
- Dum Dums lollipops,
- Fun Dip,
- Gobstoppers,
- Hubba Bubba bubble gum,
- Jolly Ranchers,
- Jujubes,
- Jujyfruits,
- Laffy Taffy,
- Mamba,
- Nerds,
- Now and Laters,
- Pez,
- Pixy Stix,
- Red Vines,
- Ring Pops,
- Skittles,
- Smarties,
- Sour Patch Kids,
- Sweet Tarts,
- Twizzlers,
- And many more!
Are Haribo Gummy Bears Halal?
Haribo bears purchased in the USA are only considered halal if they say on the packaging that they were made in Turkey. This means that the product would be made with gelatin derived from a cow, as pork products are what would make the gummies not halal.
If the packaging notes that the gummy bears were made in Germany, the UK, Austria, Spain, Brazil, and France, then they are not halal, as factories in these countries will often use gelatin derived from pigs or cows, but it is not always discernable which source is used for gelatin.
To air on the side of caution, don’t risk eating Haribo gummy bears from these countries and looking only for the packaging labeled with “Made In Turkey.”
Lastly
Haribo gummy bears are not vegetarian, vegan, or necessarily halal.
So, you’re going to need to look for some alternatives.
Thankfully, there are other vegetarian products in the Haribo product range, or other candy products altogether.
The good news is, you’re certainly not short of options!
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Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.
