teas.co.uk
Tea and coffee from the brands you know
Is Haribo made from pig?
It is a common question about gummy sweets. The short answer is that the classic Goldbears contain pork gelatine, and there are halal and kosher versions.
In this article
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.
Haribo's Goldbears are sold in more than 100 countries, and one of the most common questions about them is whether they are made from pig. For the classic Goldbears, the answer is that they are made with pork gelatine.
What gives gummy bears their chew
Haribo's Goldbears are made from sugar, sugar syrup, colourings and flavourings, along with acidifiers, coating agents, water and gelatine, and it is the gelatine that gives the bears their rubbery texture. Gelatine is made from collagen, a protein from animals. Most gelatine comes from pork skin, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides, and some comes from fish. See what is gelatine made from?
Pork gelatine in Goldbears
The standard Goldbear uses gelatine from pigs. That means the classic bears are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and they are not halal or kosher.
Halal and kosher Haribo
To cater for religious dietary laws, Haribo makes special versions of the Goldbear. A halal certified version, which swaps the pork gelatine for beef gelatine from cattle slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law, is made only at a Haribo factory in Turkey. It is officially sold in the Middle East and South East Asia, but it is also widely imported and sold in other countries. A kosher version, made to Jewish dietary law, is made at a factory in Austria and is mainly exported to Israel and to Jewish communities in the United States.
Always check the pack
Haribo makes a great many different sweets, and recipes can differ between products and between countries. The only way to be sure is to read the ingredients on the pack you are buying, and to look for halal certification, or vegetarian or vegan labels. For more on which sweets contain pork gelatine, see what sweets have pork gelatine?
Gelatine free bears
If you want gummy bears without pork gelatine, there are alternatives. Some are made with beef gelatine for halal diets, and some use plant based gelling agents instead. In our pick and mix we sell halal golden bears and vegan gummy bears, and every sweet on our site has its own ingredients and allergens panel. For the story of the man who created the gummy bear, see Hans Riegel and the gummy bear.
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
Is Haribo made from pig?
Standard Haribo Goldbears are made with gelatine from pigs. Gelatine is made from animal collagen, and most gelatine comes from pork skin, pork and cattle bones or cattle hides. Other Haribo products vary, so check the ingredients on the pack.
Is Haribo halal?
Standard Goldbears are not, because they use pork gelatine. Haribo makes a halal certified version with beef gelatine, from cattle slaughtered according to Islamic law, at a factory in Turkey. It is sold mainly in the Middle East and South East Asia but is also imported elsewhere.
Are Haribo sweets vegetarian?
Those made with gelatine are not, because gelatine comes from animals. Some sweets are made without gelatine, so read the ingredients and look for vegetarian or vegan labelling.
Sources
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat is gelatine made from?Gelatine is made from collagen from animal skin, bones and connective tissue, mostly pigs and cattle. Why it matters for vegetarians, Muslims and Jews.
- 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 askWhat sweets have pork gelatine?Many gummy sweets use gelatine, and it can be pork. Standard Haribo Goldbears use pork gelatine, and Mondelez says its gelatine may be beef or pork.
- Questions people askWhat sweets are halal in the UK?Look for halal certification. Sweets with pork gelatine are not halal, and some brands' gelatine may be pork. Also check for carmine and alcohol.
- 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 askWhy is chewing gum so hard to get off pavements?Gum bonds to pavements and shoe soles because they are made of similar polymers. Removing it needs steam and scrapers, and costs cities a fortune.