Lifesavers are among the most popular hard candies, but vegans are skeptical about them and ask, “do Lifesaver gelatin?”
With a history dating back to 1912, Lifesavers are among the nation’s oldest hard candies.
Finding someone who does not love those ring-shaped hard and soft candies is hard.
But, if you have decided to follow the vegan lifestyle, you know you just cannot have animal products.
And Lifesavers is off-limit if it contains gelatin. But do Lifesaver gummies have pork gelatin?
Unfortunately, Lifesaver gummies contain gelatin and have many other “problem” ingredients making them unsuitable for vegans.
Do Lifesavers Have Gelatin or Not?
Lifesavers offer several products made using various ingredients, with gelatin being one of the most common ones used in all of them.
Based only on appearance, Lifesavers look to be suitable for vegans.
They do not include any chocolate, milk, dairy, or other evident animal by-products, making them a welcome alternative to the typical sweet.
But, when you dig deeper into the ingredient list, you discover that most of them are not vegan-friendly and contain animal byproducts.
Fact: Created by Clarence Crace in 1912, Live Savers have holes and use ingredients to ensure it does not melt over summer.
What Do Life Savers Offer?
Life Savers is a candy brand selling mints and fruit sweets sold on paper-wrapped aluminum foil rolls, making the brand easily recognizable.
Originally invented as a “summer candy” in 1912, it has now become a popular candy option in the U.S.
The candy gets its name from its resemblance in shape to the common ring-style life preserver, also called a “lifesaver.”
To confirm whether Life Savers contain gelatin or not, it is important to consider their different varieties.
Do All Life Savers Products Contain Gelatin?
Not really, but still, they may not be vegan-friendly.
The fruit-flavored hard candy does not contain gelatin but refined sugar, which may not sit well with every vegan out there.
Other than these, everything else uses animal byproducts to some extent. In fact, the mint and gummy Life Savers contain gelatin and stearic acid, making them unsuitable for vegans.
Why Do Lifesavers Contain Gelatin?
The use of gelatin as a food ingredient is widespread. Common examples include:
- Gummy bears
- Pop-Tarts
- Jell-O
- AirHeads
· … and the list goes on!
Gelatin may look harmless, but it is really produced entirely from animal byproducts.
It is essentially a powder made from boiled-down animal remnants such as fatty tissues, ligaments, bones, and other parts that butchers cannot recoup their costs on.
The key function of gelatin is to impart a thick, gel-like consistency to food (or confectionery).
Now you know where Life Savers get that deliciously chewy texture, don’t you?
Do Life Saver Gummies Have Gelatin or Not?
Some Life Savers varieties do not contain gelatin but are still unsuitable for vegans because of other ingredients.
But, when you talk about gummies, you should avoid them if you do not want to eat gelatin.
Fact: The very first Life Savers product to hit the shelves was the Pep-O-Mint flavor.
What are the Ingredients of Lifesavers Gummies?
You can find different varieties of Lifesavers gummies that use slightly different ingredients.
For instance, you can find these gummies in five flavors, including:
- Collisions
- Mix O Reds Sours
- Wild Berries
- Assorted Sours
- Coolers
Unfortunately, gelatin is listed in all of them. Other ingredients are modified cornstarch, corny syrup, refined sugar, artificial flavors, citric acid, and carnauba wax.
Are Life Savers Gummies Kosher?
The question of whether or not Lifesavers are Kosher-certified is not answered clearly anywhere online or on the packaging.
Little information suggests the Life Savers Mints are “not Kosher certified.” Therefore, it is possible to say that Life Savers are most likely NOT kosher too.
Fact: Life Savers is among the most popular candy brand in the U.S, with over 548 million rolls produced every year.
Are Life Savers Gummies Vegan?
Unfortunately, they are not.
There is no Lifesavers Gummy flavor that is suitable for vegans. Gelatin, a protein obtained by boiling animal cartilage, tendons, skin, etc., in water, is present in all flavors.
According to Peta, gelatin is typically sourced from pigs, cows, or fish. Being derived from animals, Gelatin is not typically included in vegan or vegetarian diets.
We are not sure whether the gelatin used comes from pork, but it is clear that these gummies contain animal-derived gelatin.
Note: It means that whether or not Life Savers Gummies are halal or kosher is unclear, but they are definitely not safe for consumption for vegans.
Do Lifesavers Gummies Contain Gluten?
There is scant information online about Lifesavers’ production or gluten-free status.
All their ingredients are gluten-free, although there is a chance of cross-contamination during processing.
Do Lifesavers Hard Candies have Gelatin?
Hard candies from Lifesavers are delicious, to say the least. And you can find them in five different flavors.
For instance:
- Butter Rum
- Wild Cherry
- Hawaiian Fruits
- Sugar-Free Wild Cherry
- Fruiteria
If you check the ingredient list of these hard candies, you will not find “gelatin” listed on any of them.
It suggests that Lifesaver’s hard candies are free of gelatin.
However, they may not be suitable for vegans still, as they contain many other questionable ingredients, such as the following:
Corn Syrup
Corn syrup is used in nearly all types of hard candy because it hardens well, imparts a lustrous coating to the candy’s outside, and generally improves the product’s aesthetics.
Corn syrup, fortunately, is a natural sweetener derived from corn, but some vegans may be skeptical about how it is sourced.
Citric Acid
Limes, lemons, and oranges are all sources of citric acid, a naturally occurring acid.
However, the vast majority of citric acid sold today is manufactured artificially.
In Lifesavers, citric acid has a dual purpose. Its primary effect is to give the sweet a tangier, fruitier taste. Second, it prevents bacteria from growing on the candy’s surface by lowering the pH.
Depending on how citric acid is manufactured, it may or may not be safe for vegans.
Refined Sugar
Sugar is typically one of the main ingredients in confectionery.
However, the inclusion of bone char in the refining process of refined cane sugar makes it controversial among vegans.
Although the sugar does not include any bone char particles, the processing procedures render it non-vegan.
Because sugar’s specific form is rarely disclosed, it is natural for vegans to feel skeptical when going for Lifesavers candies.
Palm Oil
When you are strictly following a vegan diet, it is essential that you also consider the environmental effect of different foods.
Palm oil falls into this category.
Palm oil is a contentious vegan component, not because it comes from animals but because its cultivation has a negative impact on the environment.
Flavorings
There is a growing concern among vegan communities about using both artificial and natural flavorings in food.
Natural flavors can be derived from plants or animals, while most candies use natural flavors from plants.
There is no real information available about the source of flavorings in Lifesavers gummies and candies, so they may not always be safe for vegans.
Food Colors
The vegan community is divided about the use of certain food colorings. Sadly, this is due to the prevalence of animal testing for food coloring.
As there is no way to tell what sort of food colors are used in Lifesavers, you may want to think twice before you include them in your vegan diet.
Should You Eat Lifesavers Hard Candy on a Vegan Diet?
It depends on how strict you are regarding your beliefs. If you are a hardcore vegan, you may be better off avoiding Lifesavers hard candy.
If you are not that concerned about ingredients other than gelatin or animal-byproducts, you are safe to include Life Savers Hard Candy in your diet.
Fact: "Life Savers" candies were the first American confectionery to be packaged in tin foil.
Read Next: How Long Does Chocolate Candy Last?
Takeaway
Do Lifesavers have gelatin? It seems that all of their products, except for hard candy, come with gelatin as an ingredient.
Life Savers are among the go-to candy options in the U.S., and people of all ages love them.
But, there is a concern among vegans regarding the use of gelatin.
There are no details about the source of the gelatin, so you may want to avoid it if you are looking for halal or kosher food.