Are Skittles Halal
This was because it contained E120 cochineal but recently has been removed. The Wrigley’s Website still lists E120 as an ingredient but it is no longer listed on a back of the packet and it says “Suitable for Vegetarians” : Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavoured sweets, currently produced and marketed by the Wm.7 May 2015. So are Are Skittles Halal? well read on:
Some further information from The Goodness Project which is an update as follows.
Most types of Skittles are considered vegan, but not all. While Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical and Wild Berry Skittles are all currently suitable for vegans, some special editions such as the Once in a Blue Moon Skittles are not, as the blue skittles contain animal product derivatives.
As limited edition packs can differ with their ingredients, we recommend always checking the ingredients list of any past or future limited edition packs to double check for animal derived products if you want to be really safe!
Though like many other sweets the main ingredients of Skittles are coloured sugars and artificial additives, none of which contain animal products. However, the ingredients haven’t always looked like this.
Although gelatin was (thankfully) removed from Skittles over a decade ago, another ingredient called Carmine (AKA Cochineal Extract, E120) was only scrapped from the ingredients list in around 2015, so some older bags of Skittles that are floating around might still contain this product.
E120 is a natural red food colour taken from a species of insects called Cochineal that live on different succulents, making it an animal byproduct unsuitable for vegans.
We admit that it’s unlikely that you’ll happen upon a pre-2015 bag of Skittles anytime soon, but we think it’s always best to check the ingredients list just in case!
Although Skittles no longer contain animal products, there are still some considerations to make as a vegan before tasting the rainbow! You may want to consider the wider company you are funding and their overall vegan status.
As Skittles are owned by parent company Mars, who have been known to test on animals in the past, you need to make some decisions about how strict your vegan diet should be. If you were to cut out all companies that have ever tested on animals you might not have much left to eat! But that choice is yours.
Another consideration to make is how you feel about palm oil. Palm oil production is widely known to be disastrous for the environment and for the animals within it. The production of palm oil has leveled forests, destroyed habitats and caused animal extinction, amongst other things. By destroying forests to make room for plantation development, wildlife lose their homes and their lives.
Though more companies are making efforts to get rid of palm oil from their products, it is still rife in the sweet industry. As Skittles contain palm oil as one of their ingredients, you should make an informed decision about whether or not you feel comfortable buying their products.
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