Are Skittles Vegan?

Can vegans eat skittles?

Let’s cut straight to the chase. The answer to this question is, yes! Vegans can eat Original Skittles as they only contain plant-based ingredients. They also don’t contain any gelatin, as in 2010 Skittles decided to move away from adding gelatin to the candy products.

The ‘natural flavors’ you find in many types of candy come from animal origins. However, this isn’t the case with Original Skittles, as the natural flavors used in these are all derived from plants, which has been confirmed by Peta.

It is important to note that the ingredients used in other flavors of Skittles can differ from Original Skittles. So, with this in mind, we decided to take a look at every Skittles variety below and find out whether they are as vegan-friendly as Original Skittles are. 

Sour Skittles

Sour Skittles are family favorites, but are they vegan? Let’s take a look at the ingredients list to find out!

Sour skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Citric Acid
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Less Than 2% Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax

Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:

Since all of the above ingredients are plant-based, we can confirm that Sour Skittles are vegan!

Wild Berry Skittles

The rich, fruity flavor of Wild Berry Skittles makes them pretty much irresistible. But are they suitable for vegans? Again, we looked at their full list of ingredients to find out:

Wild Berry Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Less Than 2% Citric Acid
• Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:
  • Red 40 Lake
  • Blue 2 Lake
  • Yellow 5 Lake
  • Blue 1 Lake
  • Red 40
  • Yellow 5
  • Blue 1
  • Yellow 6
• Fruit Juice from Concentrate
  • Strawberry
  • Cherry
  • Raspberry
  • Grape
  • Blackberry

As is the case with Sour Skittles, all of the ingredients found in Wild Berry Skittles are plant-based, which means that they are a suitable choice of candy for vegans. 

Tropical Skittles

If you’re looking for a candy that is packed with zingy, fruity flavors, then Tropical Skittles are the way to go! But can you eat them if you’re vegan? Let’s take a look at their ingredients to find out. 

Tropical Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Apple Juice from Concentrate
• Less Than 2% Citric Acid
• Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:
  • Yellow 5 Lake
  • Yellow 6 Lake
  • Blue 1 Lake
  • Red 40 Lake
  • Red 40
  • Yellow 5
  • Yellow 6
  • Blue 1

The verdict - since all of the ingredients used to make Tropical Skittles are plant-based, they are absolutely fine for anybody following a vegan lifestyle. 

Brightside Skittles

As their name suggests, Brightside Skittles are one the zingiest, most flavor-packed varieties out there. But what are their vegan credentials? 

Brightside Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Less Than 2% Citric Acid
• Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Yellow 5 Lake
  • Blue 1 Lake
  • Yellow 6 Lake
  • Red 40 Lake
  • Yellow 6
  • Red 40
  • Blue 1

As with all other skittles varieties that we’ve looked at so far, we can confidently say that each of the ingredients used to make Brightside Skittles are vegan-friendly. 

Darkside Skittles

As you might have guessed, Darkside Skittles are the opposite to Brightside Skittles in terms of color and flavor. But are they also vegan-friendly?

Darkside Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Less Than 2% Citric Acid
• Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:
  • Red 40 Lake
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Blue 2 Lake
  • Red 40
  • Blue 1
  • Blue 1 Lake
  • Yellow 5 
  • Yellow 5 Lake
  • Yellow 6
  • Yellow 6 Lake

So, while Darkside may be the opposite of Brightside Skittles, they both have one thing in common - they are 100% vegan!

Sweet Heat Skittles

Sweet Heat Skittles are made for a certain taste preference, but are they vegan? It’s time to check out their ingredients and find out!

Sweet Heat Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Less Than 2% Citric Acid
• Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors, including Yellow 5

In a running theme with Skittles, each of the ingredients in the Sweet Heat variety are plant-based and, therefore, suitable for vegans.

Sweet & Sour Skittles

Just like Sweet Heat Skittles, Sweet & Sour Skittles are another variety that has an acquired taste. But are they also vegan-friendly?

Sweet & Sour Skittles contain the following ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Citric Acid
• Less Than 2% Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax
• Natural & Artificial Colors and Flavors:
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Red 40 Lake
  • Blue 1 Lake
  • Yellow 5 Lake
  • Yellow 5
  • Blue 2 Lake
  • Blue 1

Sweet & Sour Skittles are the last variety on our list and, just like all other skittles varieties, they are also 100% vegan. 

Controversial Skittles Ingredients

Although all of the ingredients across the entire Skittles varieties are plant-based, there are a few that may make a vegan raise an eyebrow. Below, we’ll take a look at each of these and allow you to decide whether or not you’d be comfortable eating Skittles inline with your own vegan ethics. 

Sugar

All candy products contain sugar. However, while it is technically plant-based, there is some controversy in the vegan community surrounding the way it’s processed. 

Some sugars are processed using bone char, and this gives it the pure-white appearance that we associate sugar with. And, while sugar that has been processed using bone char doesn’t actually contain any bone particles, the method itself is certainly not vegan. 

With Skittles, the method used to process the sugar in their ingredients isn’t stated. However, since every single ingredient used is vegan-friendly, it would be safe to assume that the sugar is as well. 

Palm Oil

Palm oil is one of the most controversial ingredients found in any product, whether it’s vegan or not. Again, there is a technicality here. Palm oil comes from palm trees so, for all intents and purposes, it’s vegan. 

However, the increased demand for palm oil has seen huge areas of the rainforest cleared to make plantations. With that, the habitat of many animals has been decimated. So, while Skittles can say their candy varieties are vegan, there are major ethical issues surrounding their use of palm oil which may make you want to think twice. 

Summary

After much research and an in-depth look at each of the ingredients that make up every single variety of Skittles, we can say that Skittles are vegan. This is great news for anybody following a plant-based diet looking for a sugary treat!

And, since Skittles offers so many different varieties, you’ve got access to a huge range of different flavors of candy without having to worry about any of them containing animal products. 

So, next time you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, why not truly ‘Taste the Rainbow’ and make yourself a multi-variety bowl of Skittles? You’ll be getting your sugar fix and removing yourself from animal-product consumer demand at the same time. It#s a win-win situation!