One of the best parts about Spring time is getting to enjoy jelly beans. However, there are many jelly beans being made that are not vegan-friendly. Products that are vegan must have no ingredients that include animals or animal by-products. So, are starburst jelly beans vegan? Unfortunately, the Starburst brand of jelly beans does contain confectionery glaze. This type of glaze is widely used on candies to give them a shine. However, confectionery glaze is an insect by-product. Although these candies aren't vegan checkout these vegan friendly Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans!

Many jelly beans lose any chance they have of being allowed in a vegan, or vegetarian diet, due to the inclusion of gelatin. Gelatin is an animal by-product which means that any jelly beans found to contain gelatin are not friendly for either vegetarians or vegans. These jelly beans also contain both artificial flavorings and coloring. Most vegans don't want anything artificial in their food, consider this a friendly warning about these candies.

Starburst Jelly Bean Ingredients

• Sugar
• Corn syrup
• Modified Food Starch
• Apple juice (from concentrate)
• Citric Acid
• Gum acacia
• Artificial flavors
• Natural flavors
• Coloring
• (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 1)
• Confectionery Glaze*

*Confectionery glaze is an ingredient that is a by-product of insects.

Vegan Starburst Jelly Bean Alternatives

Don't worry, you can still have jelly beans that are completely vegan. There are a few companies that make vegan jelly beans that do not use confectionery glazes for their products. Here are a few Starburst jelly beans vegan alternatives to try:

Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans - Made to replicate the hard candy this brand is known for, these jelly beans are a great choice for vegans, since they contain no confectionery glaze.

Warheads Sour Jelly Beans - These jelly beans contain no gelatin or confectionery glaze and are fat-free.

YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans - This product is gluten-free, contains no artificial colors or flavors, and contains no fat.

Conclusion

Starburst jelly beans are not a vegan food. However, it is nice to see a jelly bean company that doesn't have gelatin on their ingredient list. You can read more about how General Mills, one of the biggest food brands around, are taking steps to become more vegan-friendly here. Unfortunately, the inclusion of the insect by-product known as confectionery glaze makes this candy a no-go for vegans. If you look above, you will find a handful of options for jelly beans that are vegan-friendly foods.

Curious about what other popular foods are vegan? Click here to find out if Oreos, one of the most popular cookies around, are vegan! Looking for a new shirt to proclaim that you are proud to be vegan, check out one of the awesome shirts in our shop section. What is your favorite Starburst jelly beans vegan alternative? Please leave a comment letting us know your must-have vegan jelly bean brand!