Yes – Twizzlers are vegan.
For those of you vegans and non-vegans alike that love sweets, Twizzlers may very well be your new favorite cup of tea if you haven’t yet tried them.
What are Twizzlers?
Around since before you were born – Twizzlers have been on the market since 1845. Owned by the Hershey Company, these have been an iconic candy for some time now.
Twizzlers are a licorice like candy that have been twisted into long pieces, with many different flavor options to choose from.
Twizzlers Ingredients:
-Corn Syrup
-Enriched wheat Flour
-Sugar
-Corn Starch
-Palm Oil
-Salt
-Artificial Flavor (Red 40)
-Citric Acid
-Potassium Sorbate
-Glycerin
-Soy Lecithin
*These are the ingredients in the strawberry flavored Twizzlers – the most popular one on the market.
Controversial Ingredients
There are a few ingredients that are questionable ones for some vegans in regards to the ethics behind them, the effect on the global ecosystem, and also their potential health risks.
Sugar
White sugar that’s not organic is more often than not processed with bone char (ground-up animal bones), which some vegans may not agree with. This is done for a whiter sugar color. Even though these animal byproducts do not end up in the final product, the fact that it’s been in contact with animals is enough for certain vegans to opt out of consuming this ingredient.
Refined cane sugar is often sugar that’s derived from sugarcane or from beet sugar that comes from beets. This is not always a vegan friendly ingredient, but if the sugar is organic, it’s a different story.
It’s not possible to know where the sugar in Twizzlers is sourced, as the company has many different suppliers and it’s tough to pinpoint that answer.
Palm Oil
Some in the vegan community have an issue with this ingredient for its ecological impact on the land and surrounding wildlife.
In order to create space for the palm oil plantations to grow, virgin rainforest is cleared and burned, affecting not only the surrounding wildlife and air quality, but also the lives of the neighboring animals that live in synergy with the environment.
The RoundTable on sustainable palm oil was created in 2004 in efforts to promote sustainability of this common food additive by upholding certain principles.
Many vegans may be pleased to know that 40% of the worlds leading palm oil producing companies are members of this eco-friendly organization.
If you’re interested in where you can find a list of companies that have applied for the RSPO license, you can view one here.
Animal habitats can be saved with your dollar going towards supporting RSPO certified companies.
Artificial Colors
These types of ingredients are used to give color to food products.
Extra color in life can be nice, but in this case, some vegans may view these as questionable ingredients for presenting a threat to both animal and human health.
Red 40 is a red dye contained in the Twizzlers vegan recipe that’s not sourced from bugs like most Red 40. So there are no animal ingredients or byproducts in artificial colors, however this doesn’t mean that some vegans don’t have an issue with this ingredient. Instead, it’s synthetically made in a laboratory, which has a significant impact on animals livelihoods.
Many artificial colors are tested on animals, and Red 40 is one of them.
Artificial color Blue 1 is also used in certain Twizzlers, this again synthetically made chemical poses health risks to both the animals its tested on as well as humans.
However, artificial colors may still pose concern for some vegans due to the animal testing that’s performed on innocent animals like mice, rats, and dogs. Some of these animals even die as a result of this, and some more morally conscious vegans don’t wish to support this animal cruelty.
Mineral Oil
This is an ingredient found in some Twizzlers flavors that may be a problematic one for some vegans.
It’s an oil used for food and body products that’s sourced from petroleum, and there are certain environmental implications with this, which some vegans might contest to.
Harvesting of this ingredient leads to potential water contamination, negatively affects air quality as well as surrounding animal life.
Natural Flavors
This ingredient is used to enhance the flavor and smell of food products.
They can either come from a plant or animal source. However, the company is unsure of the source of this ingredient in their products.
Remember you can always contact the manufacturing company for more information about ingredient details.
Glycerin
This ingredient is a carbohydrate that’s found in many foods and drinks, soaps, and also in pharmaceuticals.
Glycerin is used in these products to add softness in texture, sweetness, and weight.
It’s commonly sourced from either animal fat or vegetable oil – one of the two.
Hershey Company does state that their glycerin source is from vegetable oils, but this still may prove problematic for some vegans.
Are Twizzlers Vegan?
Seeing as how they don’t contain any outright animal products in them, and zero gelatin (which is sourced from animals), Twizzlers are considered a vegan candy.
PETA kids has also stated that Twizzlers are vegan.
Twizzler Products
The Hershey Company offers a variety of Twizzler products with different flavors and multiple vegan options.
Twizzlers Nibs
Twizzlers nibs cherry candy flavor come in individual bags, if you want some little sweet treats to carry with you during your daily errands.
These bite sized nibbles also contain ferrous sulfate (iron) and folic acid, which is a nutritional supplement.
This candy does contain palm oil, cornstarch, mineral oil, cane sugar, and Red 40.
These do not have a lot of fat or cholesterol in them, for those wanting to improve heart health.
Strawberry Twists
Twizzlers vegan offers their treats in strawberry flavor, too.
This licorice vegan candy is chewy and delicious, larger sized, and comes in resealable 18 pack bags to share with the family or the homeless person you see.
And, if you’re a fan of strawberry flavor – Twizzlers offers a strawberry flavored lip balm, if the candy isn’t enough for you.
Pull N Peel Twizzlers
This option is a chewy and cherry flavored candy that comes in a one pound bag.
These licorice like are fun to eat tart and tasty vegan products can be pulled and peeled apart, and enjoyed at any time of the day.
Note these contain palm oil, cornstarch, sugar, artificial color Red 40, and natural flavor.
Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists
This option contains licorice extract in the recipe, so they have a distinct spice to them.
Also, this flavor does have some of the aforementioned controversial ingredients – mineral oil, artificial colors Red 40 and Blue 1, natural flavors, artificial flavors, and sugar.
They come in a pack of six twists to enjoy throughout the day and to share with your fellow Twizzlers lovers.
Are Twizzlers healthy?
Twizzlers aren’t the most nutritious item for your diet- vegan or not, but they’re also not detrimental to health.
Some may consider the iron a health benefit, but it only makes for 2% of the recommended daily intake – which isn’t all that much.
Note Twizzlers are not gluten-free, due to the wheat ingredient in the recipe. So, these aren’t suitable for those who are allergic.
Note these contain artificial flavors and artificial colors, which pose health concerns that we will soon review.
In the end, the human body is pretty resilient, but your health is in your hands, so you’re the judge.
Twizzlers Alternatives
Panda Licorice
This company offers 100% vegan friendly raspberry and black licorice bites.
The ingredients in these vegan candies are: wheat flour, molasses, Natural Flavor, and Licorice Extract (Aniseed oil).
The sugar in this is from molasses- so there’s no risk of it coming into contact with bone char, no animal testing, and the colors are more natural colors.
If you’re looking for a a vegan product that’s sweet and higher up on the healthiness scale, these are a great option, as they have the most naturally sourced flavors compared to the other options in this article.
Red Vines
This licorice tasting candy option is considered a vegan choice, as it doesn’t contain any direct animal products in them.
Not all vegans may agree with this, as every vegan is different as far as what their priorities are.
These are available in cherry, grape, black, original red licorice, and sugar-free flavors.
Note there are artificial colors and wheat flour in these.
Oreos
These obviously aren’t a licorice candy – but they are still a great vegan alternative to Twizzlers. Try them with some peanut butter scooped on top and try not to tell the world it’s not life changing.
Conclusion
Whether you opt for Twizzlers brand licorice or a Red Vines alternative, it’s up to you whether a food product is considered vegan or not. It depends on how liberal or strict you are with your veganism views, and what you will tolerate in your overall life diet.
Oh, and did we mention you can use this candy as edible straws, too?
If Twizzlers don’t sound like they’re for you, perhaps jolly rancher candies might be a better bet.
