![]() ![]() “Thank you for contacting Wonka® Nerds® Rope. Here is an email from Willy Wonka Candy Company: Some contain carmine, which is an insect-derived food coloring. Unfortunately, not every Nerds flavor is halal. It’s the perfect replacement for gelatin. When cooked together with sugar, it thickens and obtains characteristics similar to jelly. What’s most interesting about these alternatives is the fact they use real foods.įor example, they include beets, spirulina, blueberries, among other fruits and vegetables to replace artificial colors.Īdditionally, you will also find pectin, which is a naturally occurring substance found in many fruits. Here are some solutions I found that you will probably find appealing: Since some Nerds contain a few animal ingredients and most contain questionable ingredients such as sugar and artificial, I think it’s a good idea to provide vegans with solutions that are 100% vegan. In other words, this might indicate that artificial colors are a byproduct of animal cruelty and therefore, some individuals may not be willing to consume them. In fact, in these tests from 20 mice are used as subjects. Contrary to what I used to believe, it seems that it’s not a one-and-done deal. While I’m sure most vegans consume products with artificial colors (since they’re not fused or derived from animal ingredients), some are against artificial colors.Įvidence suggests that certain artificial colors (Red 40) are routinely tested on animals to prevent potential health risks from popping up. Nerds, without exception, contain artificial colors. This makes it very difficult to know whether or not a product is vegan because you don’t which type of sugar is actually being used. However, what I’ve noticed in my research is that among companies, you will find many that have a mixed pool of sugar suppliers. Some suppliers use plant-based alternatives such as activated charcoal or ion-exchange resins, which ultimately lead to the same result. The good news is that bone char is not used by all suppliers. While they taste the same and appear to be very similar in texture, their refinement process is different.īeet sugar is filtered using a diffuser and mixed with additives to crystallize.īut cane sugar may sometimes be filtered, processed, and bleached with bone char, which is a charcoal-like powder obtained by cremating the bones of cattle. You’ll find two different varieties of sugar in most products: cane sugar and beet sugar. Sugar is by definition a plant-based ingredient, but it might not always be vegan. ![]() However, that may also depend on whether or not you’re fine with consuming sugar and artificial colors. The only Nerds that seem to be vegan are Nerds Watermelon & Cherry, Big Chewy Nerds, and Sour Big Chewy Nerds. It’s obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones of animals that have been discarded by the meat industry. Gelatin, on the other hand, is used as a thickening agent in many food products like Nerds Rope. Farmed mainly in Peru, millions of cochineal are harvested every year to produce carmine, a coloring agent.Ĭarmine is used in many food products like Nerds, but you’ll also find it extensively being used in the cosmetics industry, namely in red (or dark-red) lipsticks. These insects, which are typically referred to as cochineal, are native to Latin America where they live on cacti. On one hand, we have carmine that is made from crushed bugs. This is because some contain carmine, while others might contain gelatin. Additionally, I’m also going to provide you with some awesome vegan candy alternatives that you will love. In this article, I’m going to take a deeper look into why Nerds may or may not vegan, and also cover some ingredients that are deemed “questionable” by some vegans, and whether or not they should be consumed. Here is a quick table showing which Nerds are vegan, and which ones aren’t: Nerds Variety: Other varieties like Nerds Rope use gelatin as a thickening agent, an ingredient that is obtained by boiling the skin, cartilage, and bones from animals, which is typically the stuff the meat industry considers to be leftovers. ![]() For instance, grape and strawberry flavors contain carmine, which is essentially made from crushed insects, making it an animal ingredient. Some Nerds can be considered vegan, but it highly depends on the flavors you purchase. I’m referring to that delicious candy brand that’s been around since the 1980s and is available in several varieties such as the Big Chewy Nerds and Nerds Rope. Do you love Nerds? I’m not referring to people who by definition spend ungodly amounts of time obsessed about one particular subject or hobby (like myself). ![]()
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