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Gummy bears are a classic candy that everyone loves. Today we are taking a look at Black Forest gummy bears, which are made with real fruit juice and are bursting with flavor. They’re also gluten-free, making them a great option for those with gluten sensitivities. But, are Black Forest gummy bears vegan?
Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears maybe vegan, but they contain natural flavors which can be made from animal-sourced ingredients.
Below is a table showing Black Forest Gummy Bears flavors and its vegan status.
| Flavor | Vegan Status |
| Classic Gummy Bears | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Classic Gummy Worms | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Classic Swirly Bears | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Organic Gummy Worms | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
| Organic Gummy Bears | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
| Organic Gummy Forest Critters | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Organic Exotic Gummy Bears | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Juicy Bears | No, contains Gelatin. |
| Juicy Bunnies | No, contains Gelatin. |
Black Forest Gummy Bears Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients from all the flavors that I could find.
- Agar
- Apple Juice Concentrate
- Beta-Carotene
- Black Carrot
- Black Carrot Juice
- Blackcurrant
- Blackcurrant Juice
- Blue 1
- Blueberry Juice
- Carnauba Wax
- Carrot Juice
- Cherry
- Cherry Juice
- Citric Acid
- Coconut Oil
- Corn Syrup
- Gelatin
- Modified Food Starch (Corn)
- Modified Food Starch (Potato)
- Natural Flavors
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate
- Organic Potato Starch
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Organic Tapioca Starch
- Organic Tapioca Syrup
- Pectin
- Purple Sweet Potato
- Purple Sweet Potato Juice
- Radish
- Radish Juice
- Red 40
- Rice Syrup
- Sodium Citrate
- Spirulina Extract
- Sugar
- Titanium Dioxide [Color]
- Turmeric
- Yellow 5
[Source]
As always I’ve highlighted the ingredients that we need to take a closer look at.
Non-Vegan Ingredients
Gelatin
Gelatin is made from animal-sourced ingredients and is not a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Questionable Ingredients
Sugar
In candy, sugar is a common ingredient and the source of most often beet sugar or cane sugar. Beet sugar is indeed 100% vegan-friendly, cane sugar however is another story. In it’s raw form, cane sugar is also vegan-friendly, but in candy the sugar is often refined and this can be a problem for vegans.
In the refining process the sugar is also bleached and a common ingredient is to use bone char from dead cows. So if a company uses animal-sourced ingredients in the production process, then that product could be classified as non-vegan because exploiting animals does not align with veganism.
Natural Flavors
The next questionable ingredient in Black Forest gummy bears is natural flavors. This ingredient can contain several other ingredients and the company needs to call it natural flavors. What this means for vegans is that we cannot be sourced the ingredients put in natural flavors are not animal-sourced. So it’s impossible for us to know the source.
It never disclosed on the ingredients label, what often is disclosed is if it contains milk, but that’s only for allergy purposes. So consume natural flavors with care and if you want to be complete sure then you could contact the company and ask if their natural flavors is vegan-friendly.
Artificial Colors
This ingredient is common in candy and sweets in USA. These colors are very often avoided by vegan because of the animal testing that has been done and maybe still is being conducted. There are other testing method such as computer simulations that possibly could be used instead, but animals testing is still a reality in our society.
There are also health issues connected to artificial colors. One of them being hyperactivity in kids. So be careful when consuming artificial colors and look for candy that uses colors from fruits and veggies instead for a healthier option.
Corn
I wanted to mention corn as the last questionable ingredient and this is only because of the presence of GMO’s. Corn is one of the most GMO crops in USA and many people tend to avoid this, not only vegans.
The problem with GMO crops in the high amount of herbicide that is needed to grow them. This can pollute the surrounding ecosystem and damage it severely.
Vegan Alternative To Black Forest Gummy Bears
I found a great alternative called YumEarth Organic Gummy Fruits.
Conclusion
Most gummy worms on the market contains gelatin and Black Forest gummy bears are no different. However their organic variant do not, but contains natural flavors instead, which could contain animal-derived ingredients.
I managed to find an amazing vegan alternative called YumEarth. Almost all their different types of candy are vegan-friendly, non GMO project and organic.
Thanks for reading, take care!
