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What sweets are gelatine free?
Gelatine is what gives many chewy sweets their bounce, but plenty of sweets manage without it. Here are the kinds of sweet that are usually gelatine free, the big names that have switched, and what to look for.
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Gelatine is the classic way to give a chewy sweet its bounce, and it comes from animals. But a great many sweets are made without it, either because they never needed it or because their makers changed the recipe. Here is how to find them.
Sweets that usually need no gelatine
Some kinds of sweet are made in ways that do not call for gelatine.
- Boiled sweets and rock. These are made by boiling sugar syrups until almost all the water is gone, with a little flavour and colour. They set hard on their own: see what are boiled sweets?
- Sherbet. Sherbet powder is sugar, flavouring, an edible acid and a base such as bicarbonate of soda: see what is sherbet made of?
- Pastilles and gums made with gum arabic. Traditional pastilles are based on starch and gum arabic rather than gelatine.
Even so, check the label: a boiled sweet with a chewy centre, or a sweet with a coating, may contain other ingredients.
Big names that dropped gelatine
- Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles. Nestlé announced a gelatine free, vegan friendly recipe in September 2020, arriving in sharing bags from October 2020.
- Rowntree's Fruit Gums. Nestlé removed the gelatine in 2020, making them vegan friendly.
- Percy Pig. Marks and Spencer's pig sweets, which once contained pork gelatine, became fully gelatine free in May 2019, using pectin instead.
- Fruit Salad. Barratt's raspberry and pineapple chews have contained no gelatine since 2019, making them suitable for vegetarians.
- Starburst. In the UK, Starburst is labelled suitable for vegetarians, although the American version contains gelatine.
Recipes change and can differ between countries, so always check the pack you are buying.
What replaces gelatine
Sweet makers have several plant based gelling agents to choose from:
- Pectin, from citrus peel and apples, which gives jellies a clean bite: see what is pectin?
- Starch, which gives a shorter, less chewy texture than gelatine
- Agar, from seaweed
- Gum arabic, from acacia trees, the original base of the gummy bear
Gelatine free is not always vegan
A sweet can be free of gelatine and still contain other animal ingredients, such as beeswax or shellac used as glazes, carmine used as a red colour, or milk. Percy Pigs, for example, were gelatine free from 2019 but only became vegan in 2022, when beeswax was taken out: see what sweets are vegan in the UK?
We sell vegan gummy bears and vegan fizzy cola bottles in our pick and mix. For any other sweet, check its ingredients before you buy.
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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 sweets do not have gelatine?
Hard boiled sweets, rock and sherbet are made from sugar and acids and usually need no gelatine. Many chewy sweets have also dropped it, including Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles and Fruit Gums, Percy Pigs and Barratt's Fruit Salad chews. Always check the current pack.
What is used instead of gelatine?
Plant based gelling agents such as pectin, from fruit, starch, agar, from seaweed, and gum arabic, from acacia trees. Percy Pigs, for example, switched to pectin.
Are gelatine free sweets vegan?
Not always. A sweet can be gelatine free but still contain beeswax, shellac, carmine or milk. Look for a vegan label if that matters to you.
Sources
- Hard candy, Wikipedia
- Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles to become vegan friendly, Nestlé UK
- Rowntree's Fruit Gums, Wikipedia
- Percy Pig, Wikipedia
- Fruit Salad (confectionery), Wikipedia
- Starburst (candy), Wikipedia
- Gummy candy, Wikipedia
- Gummy bear, Wikipedia
- Pastille, Wikipedia
- Sherbet (powder), Wikipedia
Keep reading
- 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.
- 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 is pectin?Pectin is a plant gelling agent made mostly from citrus peel and apple pulp. It sets jam and many vegan jelly sweets. How it is made, and is it safe?
- 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.
- Questions people askAre Jelly Babies vegetarian?Classic Bassett's Jelly Babies are not vegetarian, because they contain gelatine, which comes from slaughtered animals. How to find vegetarian jelly sweets.
- Questions people askWhat are boiled sweets?Boiled sweets are hard sweets made by boiling sugar syrup until almost no water is left. They set into a glassy solid that dissolves slowly as you suck it.