It’s pretty safe to say that jelly beans are one of the most popular candies in the entire world, and out of all the Jelly Bean producers, Starburst is among the biggest.
To our dismay, we found out that Starburst jelly beans are not vegan.
What makes this especially annoying is that gelatin is not the offending culprit like it is with the Fruit Chews in the US.
Instead, Starburst jelly beans as well as Starburst minis both contain an ingredient called confectioner's glaze.
What’s wrong with confectioner's glaze you ask?
- Shellac
Shellac, also known as “beetle juice,” is an ingredient used by candy producers to add a shiny finish to their products. Sadly, shellac is literally made from bug secretions and is therefore not vegan.
So How Do You Get Vegan Starburst?
Unfortunately, this really means that there is no way to buy vegan Starburst Fruit Chews from stores in the United States. Unless you get creative, that is.
Right now, your best bet is to order the UK vegan version of the candy online.
In fact, you can order UK vegan Starburst directly from Amazon here.
Just remember that you still need to be careful.
The two versions come in slightly different packaging and the vegan version is clearly marked “Suitable for Vegetarians” which makes it easy to determine whether or not it’s vegan if you buy them in a store. Although, it obviously isn’t as easy if you try to order vegan Starburst online so we encourage you to be extra careful.
But why not opt for some of the healthier vegan-friendly Starburst alternatives on the US market to avoid the hassle altogether?
Cruelty-Free Fruit Chew Alternatives
You have several brands to choose from, and new vegan candies are launched at such an impressive rate that it's almost hard to keep up.
We have only tried a handful of options so far and really enjoyed the following three. All of them are 100% vegan and organic made from mostly natural ingredients.
1. Lovely Candy Company Organic Fruit Chews
These fruit chews are a much healthier vegan-friendly Starburst alternative.
Besides being completely vegan, Lovely Candy Co. Organic Fruit Chews are certified organic, gluten-free, made without high fructose corn syrup, non-GMO, and kosher.
These organic fruit chews come in strawberry, cherry, and lemon flavors.
2. Spark Organic Fruit Chews
Spark is a natural, organic, and all-vegan candy company making an array of vegan fruit chews that can easily be used as a substitute for Starburst.
Since these vegan fruit chews are made from USDA certified fruit from the US, they are packed with antioxidants and are far healthier than Starburst.
Better yet, thanks to the clean ingredients Spark Organic is naturally allergen-friendly and gluten-free.
3. Wholesome Organic Fruit Chews
Another healthy fruit chew option is Wholesome Organic Fruit Chews. Unlike Starburst, Wholesome Fruit Chews are made without gelatin and are 100% vegan. They are also organic, gluten and GMO-free, and made without the use of artificial dyes and colors.
Wholesome Fruit Chews come in natural cherry, lemon, orange, and strawberry flavors.
As mentioned above, the Original Starburst Fruit Chews are not vegan in the US since they contain gelatin. However, in the UK, they are free of gelatin making them vegan.
Some of the other candies including Starburst jelly beans and Starburst minis are also not vegan since they contain confectioner's glaze which is derived from insects.
All things considered, Starburst candies aren’t very vegan-friendly nor are they healthy in the slightest.
Besides the above mentioned alternatives, there is a ton of high quality vegan chocolate to choose from today to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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