Is your favorite treat laced with meat by-products?
Halloween is the perfect time of the year for anyone with a sweet tooth because there are definitely plenty of sweets to go around.
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The excitement and enthusiasm is warranted, but nobody wants to throw away their dietary morals by accident. Unfortunately, many vegetarians and vegans accidentally do year after year. There are plenty of animal products used in candy that can be much harder to spot than most people think.
The main culprit behind accidental animal product contamination is gelatin. Gelatin is essentially a meat by-product made out of animal skins, tendons or bones, typically taken from cows or pigs. Obviously, gelatin is off limits for vegans who don’t consume any animal products whatsoever, but many vegetarians aren’t so strict. Vegetarians technically should avoid consuming it as well, because it technically is meat in a different form and is a product of slaughter.
Gelatin is used in candy to give it a gummy texture. Products containing gelatin include Jell-O, licorice, Nerds rope, Starburst and more. Some brands of gummy bears and gummy worms also contain gelatin, so be sure to read the ingredients. Skittles are no longer off limits because Wrigley has reformulated them so they no longer contain gelatin.
If your favorite treat doesn’t contain gelatin, vegetarians are probably in the clear if they choose to consume dairy products. Vegans face further restrictions with candies, as there are tons of other candies that contain different animal products.
Chocolates usually contain milk, unless they’re dark chocolate or cocoa based. Milk chocolate products like Kit-Kats, Milky Ways, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s bars and similar products are not vegan friendly. Dark chocolate is generally a safer bet. Taking a shower in vegan Gharadelli dark chocolate is better than a box of Mike and Ike’s anyway.
At this point, vegans and vegetarians may be sitting around thinking, “Well what can I have for Halloween?” Luckily, there are plenty of candies that contain no animal products.
Airheads, Zots, Smarties, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish and Sweet Tarts are just a few examples of vegan candies. Additionally, some of the previously mentioned candies have other variants that are vegan. Many licorice brands aren’t vegan, but Twizzlers are. Starbursts aren’t vegan either, but Starburst Minis are.
If you’re looking for a definitive list of what’s okay, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) offers a great list on their website.
Holidays can be hard for those with dietary restrictions involving animal products. Unfortunately, Halloween is no exception. Regardless, many candies are vegan and all people have to do is double-check the ingredients to be safe. This year, have a guilt-free Halloween and satisfy the sugar cravings once and for all.
Masen Matthews can be reached at [email protected]