The company’s emblem, which consists of the word Andes inscribed within a graphic of snow-capped peaks, is typically emblazoned on the candies’ green foil packaging.
They were introduced in 1950 and were created in Delavan, Wisconsin, by Tootsie Roll Industries.
We aim to answer the question “are Andes Mints vegan?” along with other frequently asked questions about Andes Mints in this complete guide.
Andes Mints Ingredients
A typical Andes Mint contains the following ingredients:
Sugar
Palm oil
Palm kernel
Non-fat milk
Milk protein concentrate
Lactose
Soy lecithin
Natural flavors
Artificial flavor
Peppermint oil
Food coloring
Are Andes Mints Vegan?
Unfortunately, Andes Mints include lactose, non-fat milk, and milk protein concentrate in their list of dairy-based ingredients.
These milk-based components are also included in the other Andes Mint varieties, including Cherry Jubilee, Toffee Crunch, Mint Parfait, Peppermint Crunch, and Mint Cookie Crunch.
Therefore, none of the Andes Mint flavors are vegan, including the original.
Controversial Vegan Ingredients In Andes Mints
While the dairy products in Andes Mints make them non-vegan, it’s important to note that some of the other ingredients might be vegan, depending on your own definition.
These are known as controversial ingredients in the vegan community, so let’s take a quick look at them before we answer more questions about Andes Mints.
Natural And Artificial Flavorings
Natural flavors can originate from both plant and animal sources, but they mainly come from plants for candies.
If known, the natural flavors of animal origin are always noted on product packaging.
Food Coloring
In the vegan community, some food colors are divisive. This is due to the frequent use of animals in food color testing.
Because refined cane sugar is processed with bone char to produce the pure white hue, sugar is a contentious product in the vegan community.
Although there are no bone char particles in the sugar itself, the manufacturing techniques employed prevent it from being vegan.
In this assessment, it is presumed that the sugar is vegan because the type of sugar is often not specified.
Are Andes Mints Vegetarian?
Andes Mints are suitable for vegetarians. The only animal products used to make Andes Mints are dairy-based products; therefore, they are vegetarian-friendly.
Are Andes Mints Dairy-Free?
Andes Mints are not suitable for a dairy-free diet as they contain multiple milk-based ingredients.
Are Andes Mints Gluten-Free?
All flavors of Andes Mints are free from any form of gluten.
Are Andes Mints Nut-Free?
According to Tootsie Roll Industry, owners of Andes Mints, all flavors are free from any peanuts or tree nuts.
Are Andes Mints Kosher?
Andes Mints are suitable for those following a kosher diet.
While vegans aren’t able to enjoy Andes Mints, there are alternatives out there that are suitable for a vegan diet and are as close as you can get to the real thing.
Hu Mint Chocolate Bars
These candy bars are a great alternative to Andes Mints. Not only are they vegan-friendly, but they are also free from gluten, dairy, soy, emulsifier, stabilizer, refined sugar, and cane sugar.
REDD Vegan Protein Bar Mint Chocolate
All REDD protein bars are vegan and gluten-free. Even better, each protein bar contains 5 grams or less of sugar.
Think! ThinkThin Vegan/Plant-Based High Protein Bars Chocolate Mint
This mint chocolate protein bar is close to the flavor of Andes Mints. Made with rich dark chocolate and fresh mints, they are a delicious vegan alternative to Andes Mints
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, non-fat milk, milk protein concentrate, and lactose are examples of animal-derived, milk-based ingredients found in Andes Mints, making them non-vegan.
Although these dairy products are a no-no for vegans, they are nut-free and gluten-free.
In any case, there are lots of vegan substitutes you can try, and you more than likely won’t be able to tell the difference between the alternatives and a real Andes Mint.
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