I’m sure you know of Slurpees, a popular brand of frozen carbonated beverages. It’s sold exclusively at 7-Eleven stores, and a lot of vegans who used to enjoy it have been wondering if they can continue to do so after switching to a 100% plant-based diet.
Are they vegan? The simple answer is yes. Although Slurpees don’t generally contain any animal-based products, it’s good to note that some flavors may use gelatin, which can sometimes be made from animal collagen. To be safe, you’ll want to go with a flavor that doesn’t contain gelatin.
” The process of making gelatin begins by boiling water and mixing it with animal parts. The industry uses leftovers from the meat and dairy industries like bones, ligaments, and tendons.”
Gelatin / VeganTail
It’s not easy to locate ingredients on their site. They revamped it, and now it’s nigh impossible to find individual ingredient panels for each flavor.
Thankfully, most Slurpee flavors make use of commonly available drinks like Fanta and Hawaiian Punch as opposed to their own proprietary syrup blend. For this reason, we only need to look at the ingredients panel of the drinks used.
1. Slurpees Ingredients
Most Slurpees have the following ingredients:
- High fructose corn syrup, which is the Slurpees’ primary sweetener
- Carbonated water
- Artificial dyes
- Natural and artificial flavors
Slurpees are a type of frozen drink that is made with a syrup or fruit juice base. The ingredients for a basic Slurpee recipe include water, sugar, corn syrup, and flavorings. Some of the most popular Slurpee flavors include cherry, grape, lime, and raspberry. To make a Slurpee, the syrup and water are combined and then frozen.
1.1 . Non-Vegan Ingredients in Slurpees
Some artificial dyes are made up from animal byproducts, like carmine or Red 4 and in a few Slurpees, these ingredients are used. Some artificial dyes are made from animal byproducts, like carmine or Red 4. These dyes are commonly used in cosmetics and food products. While carmine is made from crushed cochineal bugs, Red 4 is derived from coal tar.
2. Vegan Slurpees Flavors
Now, we categorize the vegan Slurpee flavors according to their unique ingredients that might have an impact on vegan friendliness.
2.1 Coca Cola
Most people’s favorite Slurpee flavor is Coca-Cola, which is also vegan-friendly. There are only three minor differences between the Coke and Core formulas, but one thing I want to emphasize is that the caramel color is not derived from any animal sources, so if you’re a vegan, you shouldn’t have any trouble slurping next time you visit a 7/11.
Sulfate-Free Diet Coke Flavor has also shared the manufacturing formula.
2.2 Dr. Pepper
Due to vegan-friendly, Dr. Pepper is very popular among vegans. It has caramel coloring and doesn’t use any animal-derived ingredients as we talk about Coca-Cola. According to my research, Caramel coloring is made by browning with just two types of sugar, such as fructose and Dextrose. So we can say that Dr. Pepper is vegan-friendly.
2.3 Fanta, Kiwi Strawberry, and Orange Flavors
Slurpees are available in a variety of Fanta flavors, including Kiwi Strawberry and Orange. These Kiwi Strawberry and Orange flavors are vegan-friendly because they contain caramel coloring and Red Dye 40, citrus fruit from concentrate, orange juice from concentrate, citric acid, carrot and pumpkin extracts, guar gum, potassium sorbet, and malic acid. You can see that none of the ingredients listed in these flavors are non-vegan.
There is some debate about whether Red 4 or carmine, a colorant found in some foods that are meant to look like blood, is vegan or not, but it is generally accepted that Red 40 is fine.
2.4 Hawaiian Punch
Slurpee’s Hawaiian Punch flavor is one of the few non-carbonated versions you can find. It’s made with natural and artificial flavors like:
- Fruit purées
- Ascorbic acid
- Citric acid
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Pectin
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Red 40
- Blue 1
- Sucralose
- Potassium sorbet
- Sodium hexametaphosphate
I found that None of those are non-vegan, so this flavor is also vegan-friendly. Feel free to consume the Slurpees.
2.5 Pina Colada
The ingredients in Pina Colada-themed Slurpees are vegan-safe, due to the addition of these additional ingredients:
- Orange juice from the concentrate
- Citric acid
- Calcium sodium EDTA
- Erythorbic acid
- Yellow 5
- Brominated vegetable oil
- Gum Arabic
- Sodium benzoate
- Quillaia extract.
Yellow 5 is made of water and azo dye, meaning it’s 100% vegan-friendly.
2.6 Sprite
The other flavors above are all safe for vegetarians and vegans, so the Sprite Slurpee should be no exception. It has only a few added ingredients, like citric acid and lime juice from the concentrate. There might be more vegan-friendly flavors, but you’ll need to contact 7/11 for that information.
3. Are There Any Slurpees Non-Vegan Flavors?
In some Slurpees, one of the ingredients is a carmine substance that is made up of animal parts. This means that if this ingredient is used in any Slurpee flavor, it will not be vegan. Many people are unaware of this fact and may inadvertently consume non-vegan Slurpees without realizing it. For vegans or anyone who wishes to avoid animal products, it is important to be aware of this when choosing a Slurpee flavor. There are plenty of delicious vegan Slurpee flavors available, so there is no need to compromise on taste or nutrition.
4. Which Slurpees Flavors are Safe?
Pina colada-flavored Slurpees are safe and vegan-friendly due to the healthy ingredients used in them. The main ingredient in pina Colada is pineapple juice, which is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Other ingredients include coconut milk and rum, both of which are also vegan-friendly.
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5. FAQs
Are Slurpees gluten-free? My research reveals that Slurpees are gluten-free because they are sweetened with sugar, fruit, and ice. It has base ingredients like colas or other sodas. Its specialty flavors are also gluten-free, so everyone who can’t eat gluten can enjoy Slurpees.
Are all Slurpees vegan? Most Slurpees in the U.S. are vegan, with 7-Eleven only using plant-based ingredients, according to PETA. The few exceptions are Slurpee flavors like creamy and red cream, as they contain dairy. Occasionally, some flavorings can include animal byproducts too.
Is Pineapple Whip Slurpee vegan? Dole Whip (Pineapple Whip) is dairy-free and vegan, meaning it’s safe for people with a variety of restrictions. Even if you have dietary restrictions, chances are that most of your family members will be able to enjoy it.
Which Slurpee flavors are safe to consume? The Pina Colada flavor for Slurpees is vegan-safe because the ingredients include things like orange juice from concentrate, citric acid, calcium sodium EDTA, erythorbic acid, yellow 5, brominated vegetable oil, gum Arabic, sodium benzoate, and quillaia extract. The yellow 5, on the other hand, is an azo dye and therefore 100% vegan-safe.
When we take a look at the WHO recommendation, Slurpees contain a whopping 49 teaspoons of sugar or 195.5 grams. The daily added sugar intake recommended for an adult by the World Health Organization is six teaspoons, meaning the Slurpee has more than eight days’ worth of sugar. Slurpees, as a result, are bad for your health.
6. Final Thoughts: Are Slurpees Vegan
The simple answer to this question is yes, I hope this comprehensive article clears your query about whether Slurpees are vegan or not. If you still have any questions regarding this topic, feel free to write in the comment box.
7. References
- The Sugar And Chemicals In Your Free Slurpee Nancy Huehnergarth – https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyhuehnergarth/2016/07/11/the-sugar-and-chemicals-in-your-free-slurpee/#7fe8ff2e1733
- Slurpee. https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/slurpee-frozen-drinks
- Coca Cola. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola#Ingredients
- Is Coca-cola Suitable For Vegetarians/vegans?: Coca-cola Ie. https://www.coca-cola.ie/faq/coca-cola-drinks-suitable-for-vegans-and-vegetarians
- The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog. https://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/02/15/beta-carotene-in-us-beverages-not-stabilized-with-gelatin-unlike-some-products-in-the-uk/
- Camel Color. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_color#Production
- Fanta, Kiwi Strawberry. https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/fanta/kiwi-strawberry/fountain-drink/
- Is Red Dye 40 Toxic? https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-red-dye-40-toxic
- Bug-Based Food Dye Should Be Exterminated, Says CSPI. https://cspinet.org/news/bug-based-food-dye-should-be-exterminated-says-cspi-20060501
- Fanta Orange. https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/drinks/fanta/fanta-orange
- Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red Punch. https://www.heb.com/product-detail/hawaiian-punch-fruit-juicy-red-punch/30382
- “No Gelatin” State Leading Apple Juice Companies. https://www.vrg.org/blog/2013/02/28/%e2%80%9cno-gelatin%e2%80%9d-state-leading-apple-juice-companies/