Gelatin in candy?

Question

No veggies (other than me or some of my friends) seem to know that the gelatin in most chewy candies is made from animal products. I tell them that, and they don't believe me!!! For the last time, starburst is not vegetarian! How many of you veggies have heard that before? Do you still eat candy with gelatin in it?

Answer 1

Emma, you come across as a relative new vegetarian or someone who is young who proclaims "news" that is extrememly common to virtually all vegetarians.

"No veggies (other than me or some of my friends) seem to know....." - that quite insulting you know.

Any vegetarian should know whats in thier food, if they don't they are just guessing about what they eat.

Why did you pick on candy ? I assume you know about wine, frozen foods ( including apparently pure vegetables ), tinned foods, bread, milk etc.

As to your final question, no, of course no vegetarian would eat candy with Gelatin in it, they would not longer be vegetarian.

Answer 2

Well, you could show them the wikipedia entry indicating that gelatin is made from spare animal parts. Or you could show them a dictionary indicating the same. Would they believe you then?

If I see gelatin on a label, I put the product right back on the shelf. Luckily, for those of us in the U.S., there is a vegan alternative to Starburst. It's called Mamba, and I've even seen it at the 7-11 and other conventional stores.

Some specialty vegan online stores also carry gummy candy, but it's just not as good as the nonvegan stuff.

Answer 3

There's no vegetable source for gelatine. Carrageenan and agar aren't even made out of proteins, like gelatine is. Since there's no veg gelatine source right now on the open market (If you're into vegan food news, you should know to be suspicious of so-called 'vegan gelatine' after Emes "veg" gelatine brand was shown to be sourced from animals).

I avoid candy with gelatine, though I've had to give up my favourite gummies. However, I still drink beer and wine even though I know they're technically clarified with isinglass (not veg), and I still eat most candy, which are made with bone-char bleached sugar. That's just where I've drawn my personal line.

Answer 4

No, true vegetarians do not eat any foods with gelatin in it. Some other foods other than starbursts are marshmallows, jello and skittles. There are also alot of gums with geltain in them. Just check the back of EVERYTHING that you eat. It becomes a habit after a while. Good luck!

Answer 5

Unless it's labelled vegetable gelatin (which is more likely called agar-agar, or carrageenan) it's an animal product. In this day of overly processed foods, label-reading is very important. I'm not a vegetarian, but I am allergic to three common food additives, so I am constantly reading labels.

Answer 6

Explain to them what gelatin actually is--it's melted down, evaporated cow bones. Then read them the ingredients. They'll listen if you tell them how gross it is.

(I'm not vegetarian, but I do get upset when I see "vegetarians" eating marshmallows.)

Answer 7

I don't eat very much candy at all. The only thing I eat occassionally is pure dark chocolate from Trader Joe's. Evaporated cane juice FTW.

Answer 8

If they don't believe you, show them the ingredient list. No, vegetarians don't eat stuff that has gelatin in it.

Answer 9

do you still eat candy with boiled hooves in it?

and contraire montraire there IS A VEGETABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR GELATIN. IT IS AGAR AGAR, A SCENTLESS, FLAVORLESS, GROUND WHITE SEA VEGETABLE.

Answer 10

don't like candy... it's a waste to my body and I don't eat it.
And results do show.. my temple looks good... or so my wife says everyday.