If colorful candies are your weakness and you're following a vegan diet, you might be wondering if Skittles are on the list of animal-free foods you can eat. When choosing candies and other sweets, watch out for hidden ingredients derived from animals.
Vegan Status of Skittles
It isn't clear whether Skittles are truly vegan - the answer is maybe. Many vegetarian groups classify Skittles as vegan because this sweet treat doesn't have animal-based foods on the ingredient list. Skittles once contained gelatin, a substance derived from animal products, but this ingredient is no longer on Wriggly.com's Skittles ingredient list. However, if you're looking for a candy that's fool-proof vegan, you may want to steer clear of Skittles.
Possible Concerns
Skittles aren't included on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) vegan snacks food list. One possible reason is because while Skittles don't have animal-derived ingredients on the nutrition facts label, natural flavors are included in the list -- which is a vague term that doesn't specify where such flavors originated from. Unless a food label specifically states a product is vegan, it's possible natural flavors could be from animal sources, says the Vegetarian Resource Group.
Furthermore, many vegans opt to steer clear of sugary sweets simply because the large amount of added sugar found in candy isn't a healthy choice if you're concerned about healthy weight maintenance, cavity-free teeth, reduced disease risks, and meeting daily nutritional needs.
Vegan Alternatives
If you're seeking vegan alternatives to Skittles, try searching PETA's vegan snack database. Examples of vegan candies on that list include Dots, Airhead taffy, Fruit by the Foot, Mary Jane candy, and Tic Tac mints.
