Vegan Gummies: What Makes Them Vegan, and Which We Stock
Vegan gummies use plant-based ingredients instead of gelatin and skip carmine, beeswax and shellac. How to read a label, why vegan is not automatically halal or gluten-free, and the vegan-tagged gummies we import.
Vegan gummies are gummies made with no animal-derived ingredients. That rules out gelatin, an animal protein used to set gummies, plus carmine (E120), beeswax (E901) and shellac (E904). They are set with plant-based agents such as starch or pectin. A gelatin-free flag is not enough, so read the ingredient list or look for a vegan claim on the pack.
We import vegan-tagged gummies from four ranges, and every dietary tag on this page comes straight from the product listing, never from a guess based on ingredients. Below: the ingredients that make a gummy non-vegan, a quick label check, and the gummies that fit a vegan set.
What makes a gummy not vegan?
Look for these four. Each comes from an animal or an insect.
- Gelatin: EU food law defines gelatin as a protein made by partially breaking down collagen from the bones, hides, skins, tendons and sinews of animals (Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Annex I). Several ingredient lists we hold just say gelatin, without naming the animal. Our breakdown of gelatin in Swedish candy shows how it splits across the category.
- Carmine (E120): a color additive made from cochineal, which the EU specifications describe as the dried bodies of the female insect Dactylopius coccus (Regulation (EU) No 231/2012). US labels must name it as cochineal extract or carmine (21 CFR 73.100).
- Beeswax (E901): used as a glazing or surface-finishing agent. US rules describe it as a secretory product of honey bees used to build honeycomb (21 CFR 184.1973). Carnauba wax (E903), a plant-based alternative, comes from the leaves and buds of the Brazilian wax palm (21 CFR 184.1978).
- Shellac (E904): purified and bleached lac, the resinous secretion of the insect Laccifer lacca, according to the same EU specifications. EFSA re-evaluated it as a food additive in 2024 (EFSA Journal).
In our own catalog, the ingredient list we hold for Aroma Sour Strawberry Banana names both gelatin and carmine, while the lists for BUBS Wild Strawberry Pomegranate and Goody Banana/Toffee name carnauba wax as the glazing agent. Recipes change, so the pack in your hand outranks any listing, ours included.
Are gelatin-free gummies vegan?
Not always. Gelatin-free answers one question: whether gelatin is in it. A gelatin-free gummy can still contain beeswax, shellac or carmine. Vegan answers the wider question, so it is the claim to look for if animal products of any kind are the issue.
Plant-based alternatives include pectin, a plant polysaccharide made commercially from citrus peel, apple pomace or beet pulp (21 CFR 184.1588). Between them, the ingredient lists we hold for our vegan-tagged gummies name starch from corn, potato and wheat, which matters for the gluten question below.
How do you check if a gummy is vegan?
- Look for a vegan claim on the pack. It answers the question directly, and it is the one to trust over any website, including ours.
- Read the whole ingredient list. Scan for gelatin, carmine or cochineal extract, beeswax and shellac. On European packs, watch for E120, E901 and E904.
- Check the glazing agent. Carnauba wax is plant-based. Beeswax is not.
- Do not stop at the gelatin flag. It rules out one ingredient, not all four.
- Check anything else you need separately. A vegan claim says nothing about wheat, halal status or allergens.
Is vegan the same as halal or gluten-free?
No. They are separate tags, and each needs its own check.
- Vegan is not automatically halal. Halal certification also looks at alcohol used to carry flavorings. A 2013 article published by IFANCA, a US halal certifier, says alcohol used to extract or dissolve a flavor must be reduced to under 0.5% in the finished flavoring. Tags differ even within one brand: some vegan-tagged BUBS lines are also tagged halal and some are not, so check each product page.
- Vegan says nothing about gluten. The vegan-tagged S-Märke and Sura gummies we stock contain wheat, because their ingredient lists name wheat starch. Matthijs is the only brand in our catalog tagged gluten-free, and its Danish, Pinky, Swedish, Cola, Melon and Fizzy Skulls are tagged vegan too.
Which vegan gummies do we stock?
These are the in-stock gummy lines tagged vegan in our catalog, grouped by range.
- BUBS: every BUBS line we list is tagged gelatin-free and vegan, including the skull shapes. Bulk cases with a listed weight run from 5.73 lb (2.6 kg) to 7.05 lb (3.2 kg), and some lines come as cases of 12 or 16 bags of 90 g.
- Matthijs: gummy skulls from a Dutch maker, sold as 4.41 lb (2 kg) bags with a case of six on the same product page. The Danish, Pinky, Swedish, Cola, Melon and Fizzy Skulls are each tagged vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten-free.
- S-Märke: 8.81 lb (4 kg) cases. The Sour Apple, Sour Blue Raspberry, Sour Strawberry and Watermelon lines are tagged vegan and halal, and they contain wheat.
- Sura: sura nappar, which means sour pacifiers, in cola and melon, in 6.61 lb (3 kg) cases. Both are tagged vegan and halal, and both contain wheat.
Vegan-tagged gummies we stock
How do you stock vegan gummies in a store?
Start from the tags, not the shapes. Write each bin label from the printed pack in the case rather than from a listing, keep gelatin candy in a separate set, and mark the vegan lines that contain wheat so a vegan tag never gets read as a gluten claim.
Our guide to building a vegan candy section covers shelf flags and layout. For single-brand depth, are BUBS vegan and gelatin-free? goes line by line, and vegan Swedish candy covers the wider category beyond gummies.
Browse the vegan-tagged gummies in the store, where every product page lists its dietary tags and Tier 1 price. Buying for a shop, cafe or event business? Apply for a wholesale account: applications approve automatically, and you order by the case, mix and match, with no order minimum.
Frequently asked questions
Are gummy bears vegan?+
Only if nothing in them comes from an animal. A gummy bear set with gelatin is not vegan, and a gelatin-free bear can still contain beeswax, shellac or carmine. Bears made with plant-based ingredients such as pectin can be vegan. The shape tells you nothing, so read the full ingredient list or look for a vegan claim on the pack before you buy.
What is gelatin made from?+
Gelatin is a protein made by partially breaking down collagen from animal bones, hides, skins, tendons and sinews, which is how EU food law defines it. Several ingredient lists we hold say only gelatin, without naming the animal. Because it comes from animals, it rules a gummy out for vegans and vegetarians.
Are gelatin-free gummies vegan?+
Not necessarily. Gelatin-free means one animal ingredient is absent. The same gummy can still contain beeswax (E901), shellac (E904) or carmine (E120), and all three come from insects. If you need vegan, look for a vegan claim on the pack or read the whole ingredient list rather than stopping at the gelatin flag.
Are vegan gummies gluten-free?+
Not automatically, because vegan and gluten-free are separate questions. The vegan-tagged S-Märke and Sura gummies we stock contain wheat, since their ingredient lists name wheat starch. The Matthijs Danish, Pinky, Swedish, Cola, Melon and Fizzy Skulls are tagged both vegan and gluten-free. If gluten matters to you, look for a gluten-free claim on the pack itself.
Which vegan gummies does TheSweetsTruck stock?+
Our vegan-tagged gummies come from four ranges: every BUBS line we list, the Matthijs Danish, Pinky, Swedish, Cola, Melon and Fizzy Skulls, the S-Märke Sour Apple, Sour Blue Raspberry, Sour Strawberry and Watermelon, and both Sura sour pacifiers. Each product page shows its own dietary tags. Retailers order by the case, mix and match, with no order minimum.
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Gustav Lindqvist · Candy Master
Gustav grew up in Sweden on a strict Saturday-candy schedule, mixing his lördagsgodis bag at the lösgodis wall before he could spell salmiak. He has spent years tasting his way across Scandinavian candy, and now curates the range at TheSweetsTruck, from BUBS sour skulls to the saltiest licorice most people cannot finish.
Last updated 9/18/2026