Are Jolly Ranchers Vegan? Updated Helpful Guide – 2023

It’s obvious that you’re interested in learning about Jolly Rancher Sweets, which is an American brand of confections, including hard candies, gummies, jelly beans, and lollipops. These sweets are vegan or non-vegan.

Are Jolly Ranchers vegan? Well, before we make a decision, we need to consider some important factors.

1. Jolly Ranchers – Vegan or Not?

The short answer is no. First, we have to know about two things. One is that there is no claim that these sweets are vegan-friendly from the Jolly Rancher Company because we found that some natural flavor ingredients are supplied by a third party to the Jolly Ranchers Sweets, so they cannot claim that these ingredients are vegan or not.

Second, we should know about the ingredients that are used in Jolly Ranchers Sweet, like LOLLIPOPS, JELLY BEANS, (HARD CANDIES), and BITES, CHEWS, & GUMMIES (SOFT CANDIES) to figure out whether these are vegan or not.

2. What are the Prime Ingredients in Jolly rancher Sweets

1. HARD CANDIES (LOLLIPOPS, JELLY BEANS)
2. SOFT CANDIES (BITES, CHEWS, & GUMMIES)

First of all, we will know about the ingredients that are mostly used in HARD CANDIES and then we will take a look at the SOFT CANDIES ingredients.

2.1 HARD CANDIES

Jolly Ranchers are a popular hard candy that is vegan-friendly. However, the ingredients list on most packages does not state that the product is vegan. Some vegans do purchase and consume these products, though, because Jolly Rancher claims to be vegan.

These are the ingredient used in HARD CANDIES: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Malic Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Artificial Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6), Mineral Oil, and Lecithin. (Source)

According to the (The Hershey) Parent company of JOLLY RANCHERS

Hello Braden!

Thank you for contacting The Hershey Company about our JOLLY RANCHER Hard Candy. 

Due to the natural flavor ingredient, we cannot guarantee that this product is suitable for a vegan diet.  The composition of a flavor is proprietary to the company that supplies the flavors. The only information that a supplier is required to provide is whether the flavor contains one of the major allergens. 

In addition, the below list of products meets The Hershey Company’s internal standard for vegan which means that the products are free from ingredients and processing aids derived from animal origin:

• HERSHEY’S COCOA Powder, Natural
• SCHARFFEN BERGER COCOA Powder
• DAGOBA COCOA Powder, Organic
• MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut
• REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter
• REESE’S Shell Topping
• TWIZZLERS Pull n’ Peel, Cherry
• TWIZZLERS Bites, Cherry
• TWIZZLERS, Twists, Cherry
• TWIZZLERS, Nibs, Cherry
• TWIZZLERS, Licorice
• TWIZZLERS, Chocolate
• TWIZZLERS, Strawberry

TWIZZLERS

Although we are working to update and expand this list, at this time, we are not able to accommodate your request regarding additional products that are certified vegan or vegetarian. We hope the information we’ve provided is helpful to you in determining whether our products meet your dietary needs.

We appreciate your loyalty as a consumer.

Keisha
Consumer Representative

The reason behind not labeling to be a vegan is that the ingredient list is proprietary natural flavor ingredient supplied from a third party and confidential and that, the Hersey’s brand does not know and cannot find out if animal-derived components are in their natural flavor.

2.1.1 Vegan Jolly Ranchers

Jolly Ranchers are a classic candy that many people enjoy. However, if you’re vegan, you may have to be creative when it comes to finding a good option. There are a variety of vegan Jolly Rancher options available on the market, so you can enjoy this sweet treat without any animal products.

• Hard Candy (all flavors, including Zero Sugar)
• Lollipops (all flavors)
• Stix Candy (all flavors)
• Candy Canes (all flavors)
• Bites (Awesome Twosome)
• Gummies – Jolly Rancher (all flavors)
• Jelly Beans

Go to the website to explore these vegan-friendly candies (Click here)

If we assume that these controversial ingredients are vegan: (Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavorings, Colors).

• Awesome Reds
• Blue Raspberry
• Cherry
• Cinnamon Fire
• Fruit ‘n Sour
• Fruity Bash
• Grape
• Green Apple
• Lemon
• Sour Surge
• Sugar Free (Apple, Grape, Raspberry, and Watermelon)
• Watermelon

Last update on 2023-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Jolly Ranchers LOLLIPOPS

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Malic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Artificial Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6), Lecithin, and BHT. (Soruce)

There is no clear answer as these candies do not clearly have labels claiming they are vegan. However, some vegans do purchase these because the ingredients are not animal-derived. It will depend on the preference of the individual, though.

Jolly Ranchers JELLY BEANS

Jolly Ranchers Jelly Beans are a vegan-friendly candy that does not contain any animal ingredients. Unlike other Jolly Rancher candy products, which are made with processed sugar, natural and artificial flavors, and artificial colors (Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40), these jelly beans do not have any of these 3rd party ingredients.

This makes them a vegan-friendly option for those who avoid consuming any animal-derived ingredients. Additionally, Jolly Ranchers Jelly Beans do not have any confectioner’s glaze or gelatin, which some vegans may also prefer.

2.1.2 Non-Vegan Jolly Ranchers 

Jolly Ranchers are a classic candy, and they come in all sorts of flavors. However, only three varieties contain animal products—and these candies all have visible non-vegan ingredients. So if you’re looking for a vegan version of this classic treat, be sure to check the label!

• Jelly Hearts
• Chews

2.2 SOFT CANDIES

Bites, Chews, & Gummies

The ingredients for most Jolly Rancher soft candies consist of corn syrup, sugar, enriched wheat flour, gelatin, natural and artificial flavors, lecithin, salt, artificial colors, and potassium sorbate.

Jolly Rancher bites, chews, and gummies are the types of soft candy that may contain gelatin. This protein is usually derived from animal bones or connective tissue, which is why these treats are not recommended for those who follow a vegan diet. Jolly Rancher Misfits and Jolly Rancher Crunch are the only two candies in this category that are vegan-friendly.

3. CONTROVERSIAL INGREDIENTS

3.1 GELATIN

Gelatin is made by processing animal skins, bones, ligaments, and tendons. Kosher gelatin is made of fish parts using the same process. Jolly Rancher jelly beans are one of the products that are said to have these contents. There are vegan alternatives used to produce these types of candies, which strict practicing vegans do not patronize.

3.2 SUGAR

Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans are a popular candy among vegans and those who follow a strict vegan diet. However, there are vegan substitutes used to produce these candies, which strict practicing vegans do not patronize.

The most common substitute is organic cane sugar, which does not go through other filtration and refining processes. This means that Jolly Rancher jelly beans have a slightly different tone of sweetness than their refined counterparts.

3.3 NATURAL FLAVORS

Some vegan communities are questioning the use of natural flavors because they can be obtained from plants, but also come from an animal’s source. For example, Jolly Rancher jelly beans are said to have third-party flavors that could potentially be derived from animal products.

3.4 SOY LECITHIN

Soy lecithin is a common vegan ingredient used in many food products. However, many manufacturers use third-party emulsifiers, which can make soy lecithin not vegan.

There is some debate as to whether or not soy lecithin from animals is actually used in these products and this has led to some practicing vegans questioning its vegan status.

Lecithin is obtained from both plant and animal sources and as such, this raises doubts about its vegan status. While soy lecithin from plants generally falls into the vegetarian category, there is still some doubt about its vegan status when sourced from animals.

3.5 FOOD COLORS

Food coloring is ubiquitous in the food world and comes from a variety of sources, including plants and animals. Many people are aware of the animal-derived colors like red dye used in Jolly Rancher candies, but what many vegans are concerned about is a food coloring that isn’t properly labeled. For example, some Jolly Ranchers use a dark red azo dye derived from coal tar which is tested on animals.

Apart from that, most food coloring is regulated before it’s even distributed to the market so that the ones used in testing are animals.

4. Are Jolly Rancher Candies Gluten-Free?

Jolly Rancher Candies contain gluten, which means they are not fully gluten-free. However, because they are low in gluten and do not include any gluten-containing ingredients, those with gluten intolerance should avoid them. You can find a full list of Anyone who has celiac disease should stay away from Jolly Rancher Candies since the company can’t guarantee that food-covered surfaces will be safe for consumption.

You can get Hershey’s gluten-free candies here.

5. What Ingredients Are In Jolly Rancher Chews

Jolly Rancher Chews are made with sugar, corn syrup, and palm oil, as well as less than 2% of the following ingredients: malic acid, glyceryl monostearate, artificial colors (red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, and yellow 6), corn starch, gelatin, natural and artificial flavors, and soy lecithin.

6. Important FAQs – Jolly Rancher

7. Conclusion

Are Jolly Ranchers vegan? The answer to this question is complicated, as the candies contain a variety of controversial ingredients. While the emulsifiers used in Jolly Ranchers come from sources such as plants, it is unclear whether all other ingredients are vegan-friendly.

In addition, because of their long history and widespread popularity, it would be wrong to assume that Jolly Ranchers are not vegan-friendly simply because they have not explicitly stated otherwise.

8. References:

1. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/documents/c9s10-1a.pdf