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Gummy bears
The gummy bear is more than a hundred years old, and it now comes in versions for almost every diet. Three recipes sold in the UK show what changes between a standard, a halal and a vegan bear.
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Gummy bears are small, chewy, bear shaped sweets. Hans Riegel, who founded Haribo in Bonn, made the first ones in 1922 and called them Dancing Bears; Haribo says its Goldbears have been around for over 100 years: see Hans Riegel and the gummy bear and why are gummy bears shaped like bears?
Three recipes, three diets
Haribo Goldbears, as listed by Haribo UK. Glucose syrup, sugar, gelatine, dextrose, fruit juice from concentrate (apple, raspberry, strawberry, orange, lemon and pineapple), citric acid, sunflower oil, fruit and plant concentrates (safflower, spirulina, apple, elderberry, orange, blackcurrant, kiwi, lemon, aronia, mango, grape and passion fruit), flavouring, elderberry extract, and beeswax as a glaze.
Halal Teddy Bears, as listed by Sweets and Candy. Glucose syrup, sugar, corn starch, beef gelatine, apple juice concentrate, citric acid, flavourings, palm oil, apple, radish, blackcurrant and black carrot concentrates, carnauba wax and beeswax, and the colours lutein, paprika extract and copper chlorophyllins. The retailer says they are made with certified halal gelatine.
Vegan Teddy Bears, as listed by Sweets and Candy. Glucose syrup, sugar, modified starch, wheat starch, pectin, citric acid, the colours E100, E141 and E160c, black carrot juice, flavouring, coconut oil, and carnauba wax as a glaze. The retailer labels them vegan and suitable for vegetarians.
What changes between them
- The gelling agent. Goldbears and the halal bears are set with gelatine; the vegan bears with pectin and starch: see how are gummy bears made?
- The gelatine's source. Standard Haribo Goldbears are made with pork gelatine, so they are not halal, kosher or vegetarian. The halal bears use certified halal beef gelatine: see is Haribo made from pig? and are gummy bears made from pigs?
- The glaze. Goldbears and the halal bears are glazed with beeswax. The vegan bears use carnauba wax, from a palm tree, instead: see what is beeswax on sweets?
- Wheat. The vegan bears contain wheat starch, so they are not suitable for anyone who must avoid wheat or gluten. The halal bears may contain gluten, the retailer says: see wheat in sweets
The colours
None of the three uses the six colours that carry a warning for children. Goldbears get their colours from fruit juices and plant concentrates; the halal bears from lutein, paprika extract and copper chlorophyllins; and the vegan bears from curcumin (E100), copper chlorophyll (E141), paprika extract (E160c) and black carrot juice: see natural colours in sweets
In our pick and mix
We sell 
Golden Bears, 
Halal Golden Bears and 
Vegan Gummy Bears by the 100 g. Recipes differ between makers, so each card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the gummy bears we actually stock.
Citable formats
For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
Are gummy bears vegetarian?
Not if they contain gelatine, as Haribo Goldbears and halal bears do. Vegan gummy bears use pectin or starch instead, and one UK retailer's vegan teddy bears are labelled suitable for vegetarians too.
Are Haribo gummy bears halal?
Standard Haribo Goldbears are not, because they are made with pork gelatine. Halal bears use certified halal beef gelatine, so look for a halal label.
Are vegan gummy bears gluten free?
Not necessarily. One UK retailer's vegan teddy bears are made with wheat starch and list wheat as an allergen.
What colours are in Haribo Goldbears?
Haribo's UK recipe uses fruit juices and fruit and plant concentrates, such as safflower, spirulina, elderberry and blackcurrant, and elderberry extract, rather than E number colours.
Sources
- Goldbears, Haribo UK
- Halal teddy bears 1kg, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Vegan teddy bears 1kg, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Gummy bear, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- How it is madeHow are gummy bears made?Gummy bears are a hot mix of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, gelatine and flavours poured into bear shapes stamped in starch and left overnight to set.
- The people behind the sweetsHans Riegel and the gummy bearHans Riegel of Bonn founded Haribo in 1920 and made his first gummy bears, called Dancing Bears, in 1922. How a sack of sugar and a copper pot became Haribo.
- Questions people askWhy are gummy bears shaped like bears?Because of the trained bears once seen at European street festivals. Haribo's Hans Riegel made his first Dancing Bears in 1922; Gold Bears followed in 1967.
- Questions people askIs Haribo made from pig?Standard Haribo Goldbears are made with pork gelatine, so they are not vegetarian, halal or kosher. Haribo makes halal and kosher versions.
- Questions people askAre gummy bears made from pigs?Many are. Classic gummy bears get their chew from gelatine, and most gelatine comes from pork skin, bones or cattle hides. Some bears use plant gels.
- Questions people askWhat sweets are vegan in the UK?Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums, Jelly Tots and Percy Pigs are all now vegan. What to check on the label, and why recipes keep changing.