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Peach hearts
Soft, sugary and shaped like a heart, peach hearts are a pick and mix sweet with a gentle fruity taste. Here is what goes into them, why there is no peach on the ingredients list, and what to check if you avoid gelatine or insect colours.
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Peach hearts are jelly sweets shaped like a heart, flavoured with peach and coated in sugar. The retailer ToffeeWorld sells a version made by Vidal Golosinas, a sweet maker in Spain, and describes them as coming in red and orange or paler two tone shades.
What is in them
The Vidal recipe, as listed by the retailers ToffeeWorld and Mr Simms Sweet Shop, contains:
- Glucose syrup and sugar, the main sweeteners.
- Gelatine, for the soft, chewy set, and corn starch: see gelatine in sweets explained
- Citric acid, for a fruity tang: see what is citric acid in sweets?
- Flavourings, which give the peach taste.
- Radish, carrot and blackcurrant concentrates, for colour.
- Colours E120 and E160a.
ToffeeWorld describes them as gluten free. It also notes that it cannot guarantee the accuracy of the ingredient information it shows, which is a good reminder to check the pack or card for the sweets you buy.
Where the peach comes from
There is no peach among the ingredients. The peach taste comes from the flavourings, and the colour from vegetable and fruit concentrates and two added colours: see how are sweets flavoured?
E120 and E160a
E120 is carmine, a red colour made from cochineal insects. It is not suitable for vegans, many vegetarians avoid it, and it may cause allergies: see what is carmine? E160a is carotenes, the orange colours found in carrots and other plants.
Diet
With gelatine and carmine, these peach hearts are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. If you avoid gelatine, look for sweets set with pectin or starch alone: see what sweets are gelatine free?
In our pick and mix
We sell 
Peach Hearts by the 100 g. Recipes differ between makers, so the card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the peach hearts we actually stock. For more peachy sweets, see peach rings
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
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Questions and answers
What are peach hearts made of?
In the Vidal recipe listed by two UK retailers: glucose syrup, sugar, gelatine, corn starch, citric acid, flavourings, radish, carrot and blackcurrant concentrates, and the colours E120 and E160a, with a coating of sugar.
Are peach hearts vegetarian?
Not in the Vidal recipe. It contains gelatine, which comes from animals, and E120, carmine, which is made from insects.
Do peach hearts contain real peach?
Not in the recipe here. The peach taste comes from flavourings, and the colour from fruit and vegetable concentrates and added colours.
Sources
- Vidal peach hearts, product listing, ToffeeWorld
- Peach hearts, product listing, Mr Simms Sweet Shop
- Carmine, Wikipedia
- Carotene, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- Sweet by sweetPeach ringsPeach rings are soft, ring shaped gummy sweets, some with a sour sugar coat. One recipe uses 8% real peach juice concentrate. What is in them, and why.
- Sweet by sweetJelly ringsSugared jelly rings are ring shaped gummy sweets coated in sugar. What goes into them, why some carry a warning about colours, and what gelatine means.
- Questions people askWhat is carmine?Carmine, E120, is a deep red colour made from cochineal insects that live on cactus. It colours sweets, drinks and lipstick. Why vegans avoid it.
- Diet, allergens and labelsGelatine in sweets explainedGelatine gives gummies and marshmallows their texture, and it melts below body temperature, which shapes how they feel in the mouth. Who avoids it.
- How it is madeHow are sweets flavoured?Sweets get their flavour from flavourings, essential oils such as peppermint, fruity esters and juices, often added after cooking so they do not burn off.
- Diet, allergens and labelsWhat is in a jelly sweet?A jelly sweet is mostly sugar and glucose syrup, set with gelatine, pectin, starch or agar, plus water, acids, flavours, colours and sometimes a glaze.