Jolly Ranchers have been around since the 1950's, and are an extremely popular hard candy. However, anyone trying to follow a vegan diet should know whether Jolly Ranchers are compatible with a plant-based lifestyle. Are Jolly Ranchers Vegan? Jolly Ranchers vegan? Jolly Ranchers are often assumed to be a vegan treat. Some websites will claim that they are, in fact, vegan. But, upon further analysis, you will see that Jolly Ranchers are not technically safe for vegan diets. However, it really depends on how strict you are about it. Jolly Ranchers contain a couple of ingredients that can be derived from animals. One of these is lecithin, which can be derived from sunflower, corn, rice, and other plants. However, it...

Twizzlers are one of America's most popular licorice candy products. Licorice, so named for the root that gives the traditional black licorice its flavor, is commonly sold as black licorice or red licorice. Some might argue that Twizzlers bear little resemblance to actual licorice because it doesn't contain any licorice root or extract, though the non-licorice flavors may actually contribute to their popularity, especially with kids. Twizzlers come in a variety of flavors and shapes - Twists, Pull 'n' Peel, NIBS, Filled Twists, Bites in black, cherry, and even chocolate flavor. But are Twizzlers Vegan? Vegan foods are those that don't contain any animal products or byproducts. Candy, especially of the non-chocolate variety, may seem like an odd place for...

Animal milk and foods derived from animal milk are popular in the Western world. Though animal milk can be a good source of protein and calcium, in reality it is not an optimal food. It is not really as nutritious as we are led to believe: It contains high amounts of unhealthy saturated fat, and the essential minerals in animal milk are actually found in greater abundance in foods like spinach and kale. Not to mention the fact that the majority of people in the world are actually lactose intolerant. Many people experience digestive problems and nutrient malabsorption from drinking animal milk. Animal milk fits into a vegetarian diet, as it doesn't require the slaughtering of animals to produce. However,...

Are Reese's Pieces Vegan? Reese's Pieces are a fairly popular candy, a spin-off of the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They're quite tasty, and their hard outer coating means they won't melt all over your hands like the Peanut Butter Cups can. However, those of us who care about animal welfare and ethicality in food production, and express this passion by following a vegan diet, must not give in to a tempting food just because it tastes good—we must always check if the food is truly vegan before eating. Are Reese's Pieces vegan? Absolutely not. This follows a common trend of candies and confections containing animal products you might not suspect, like we've seen with the ingredients in caramel candy....

Frosted Flakes cereal is a popular, sugary breakfast made primarily of corn with added frosting. It also contains puzzling and unfamiliar ingredients such as pyridoxine hydrochloride and sodium ascorbate. You may wonder if frosted flakes cereal is appropriate for vegans. That's a complicated question, but the short answer is no. Although frosted flakes may seem to be an "accidentally vegan" product, it is not. It likely contains small amounts of sheep's wool. Vegans looking for a truly plant-based frosted flakes vegan alternative should try EnviroKids Organic Lightly Frosted Amazon Flakes instead. Amazon Flakes are clearly marked "vegan" on the side of the box so there's no mystery animal products hiding in there. Frosted Flakes Ingredients Milled corn Sugar Malt flavoring...

Have you ever wondered if any of the salty snacks in the grocery store could contain animal products? Aren't they mainly vegetables fried into crackers and chips, with lots of salt and grease? What about dairy products? What about Cheez-Its? Cheez-Its claim to be made of real cheese. Is this claim true or false? Are there any Cheez-It vegans? Does a Cheeze-It vegan mean someone who does eat Cheez-Its, or doesn't? Have you asked yourself before if there could be alternative vegan cheese cracker brands available? Are there such things as vegan Cheez-Its? What Ingredients to look out for for Vegans Peta's list. The big one is kind of obvious: The cheese. Cheese is a dairy product. Also: Milk Protein. ...

Bubble tea, also called Boba tea, is one of the most popular drinks to come out of Taiwan in the last few decades. Naturally, that has left plenty of people wondering if vegan Boba is available. The answer is complicated. It is very easy to make bubble tea without including anything that comes from an animal, and doing so if often cheaper than using animal products. That's more than enough to make sure that vegan options are available. However, there are also recipes that do use animal products, and manufacturers don't always bother with clear labeling. If you want to be confident that you can drink your bubble tea, you're going to have to learn a little bit about the...

The Life Saver mint, created in 1913, is  the first flavor of Life Savers  ever created. The vegan nature of Life Saver mints is an ongoing debate of “What comes from where?” As recently as late last year, vegan bloggers, and even PETA were still researching and debating the vegan nature of this popular candy by the Wrigley company. The question is raised upon learning that one ingredient in the basic recipe of the mint is sourced from animals. However, a synthetic version of the same ingredient can also be manufactured from non-animal sources. Still, Wrigley’s wasn't clear in their answer as to whether their pioneering product is vegan or not. Life Saver Mint Ingredients Sugar Corn syrup High fructose...

Diet Coke was originally launched in the year 1982 in the United States, and a year later in Great Britain. As with many other Coca Cola brand products, the basic recipe for this popular drink includes the typical sweeteners and caffeine expected of soda drinks. The question some pose is: Based on the list of ingredients listed by the company, is Diet Coke vegan? Read on and make up your own opinions. Is Diet Coke Vegan? Technically yes, diet coke is vegan because it does not contain any animal products. In a perfect vegan world, all food and drink would be produced or manufactured without a trace of animal products in them. These include bone, gelatin, or even cochineal; a...

The world’s most famous lemon-lime drink was brought to the market by the Coca Cola Corporation in 1961. With time, this crisp and refreshing favorite has expanded to a variety of flavors including cranberry, cherry, and zero versions. The brand features a then-state of the art dimpled bottle featuring a signature green color, Emerald 17-5641. Could this “60’s new age child” be also vegan friendly? Is Sprite Vegan? The lack of animal products or animal product derivatives in the manufacturing and production of the Sprite recipe is what would make this a vegan-friendly drink. Keep in mind, however, that veganism is not just about eating: it is a lifestyle devoid of any item, food, or service related in any way...