Starburst is the UK brand name for box-shaped fruit-flavored taffy candies manufactured by The Wrigley Company in the UK. Known for making a variety of gums as well, the Wrigley Company eventually became a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated.
Since being bought by Mars, you’ve been able to find Starburst in both the United Kingdom and the United States. However, you’ll find that the ingredients somewhat differ. So, you may be wondering? Are Starburst vegan?
Are Starburst Vegan?
Ultimately, the answer lies in which country you purchased your Starburst. In the UK, Starburst is hailed as a vegan-friendly product.
They’re even advertised as such, as they don’t use gelatin. However, the same can’t be said for the American edition of the product.
Starburst in the US is made with gelatin, so, unfortunately, it won’t be a vegan product if you buy Starburst in the US.
What Are Non-Vegan Ingredients?
Down below, we’ve covered what non-vegan ingredients are included in Starburst ingredients.
We’ve compiled a list of all the ingredients for each Starburst product manufactured in the United States and the United Kingdom for comparison.
To help you understand why these products aren’t vegan, we’ve included an explanation of why they’re not vegan.
Gelatin
Gelatin is a protein made by boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones with water. You’ll find that most of these elements are gathered from cows or pigs.
Due to the fact that gelatin is made from the skin and bones of these animals, it is not a vegan or vegetarian-friendly ingredient.
Confectioner’s Glaze
Candy companies typically use confectioner’s glaze to give their products a shiny and smooth glaze finish onto their products.
However, you may be surprised that it’s made using shellac, which is also sometimes called “beetle juice.” Ultimately, it’s made of bug secretions.
Now, let’s go into a bit more depth about how shellac is made. A female lac bug will secrete lac to protect her eggs as they’re about to hatch.
This substance is made after the lac bug has fed on tree sap. You’ll find that lac hardens to create flaky shellac, which is then dissolved in ethanol.
Thus, shellac polish is made. Due to the fact it’s made from bug secretions, the confectioner’s glaze isn’t vegan, and it would be recommended to avoid it.
Beeswax
Beeswax and honey have both been up for debate in the vegan community for some time. While both beeswax and honey are considered vegetarian as they don’t contain the bees themselves, that doesn’t mean that it’s vegan.
Many vegans are more concerned with how beeswax is harvested. As the secretory glands produce beeswax on the undersides of worker bees, it’s one of the main materials used to construct their hives.
So, when you harvest honey, you need to scrape the beeswax off the beehive.
Some companies try to harvest beeswax humanely, preventing harm to any bees, but these processes will still inadvertently disrupt their system.
After all, some vegans would argue that disturbing their habits or taking anything without consent won’t align with their values.
As we don’t know how Starburst harvests its ingredients, it’s best to assume that beeswax is not vegan.
What Are Controversial Vegan Ingredients?
These are ingredients that are considered controversial in the vegan community.
Most of these ingredients are controversial due to the way they are harvested. While many of these ingredients are generally considered vegan, you can be left with the decision to decide for yourself.
Now, let’s take a closer look at these controversial ingredients.
Sugar
Sugar is a common ingredient found in any candy product, but it’s also a controversial discussion point in the vegan community.
The reason it’s controversial is that refined cane sugar is often processed with bone char in order to achieve the pure white color of fine sugar.
While the sugar itself doesn’t contain bone char particles, that doesn’t mean it’s vegan if you consider the processing methods.
As we don’t know what type of sugar is used by Starburst, it’s typically going to be considered vegan. However, if you want to ensure you’re not eating non-vegan sugar, it’s best to avoid Starburst.
Palm Oil And Palm Fat
Both palm oil and palm fat are considered controversial, but not because of animals. Cultivating palm oil and palm fat can have devastating impacts on the environment, and so it will harm numerous animals.
The impact of cultivating palm oil and palm fat has caused widespread deforestation, the loss of natural habitats, and increased greenhouse gas emissions each year.
To better understand, imagine that the amount of rainforest we’ve lost is the equivalent of around 300 football fields. These are lost each hour due to palm oil and palm fat cultivation.
It even harms the animals in the rainforest, such as orangutans, tigers, rhinos, bears, elephants, leopards, and monkeys.
Most of these animals face extinction because of the mass production of palm oil. Due to the environmental impact and harm caused to animals, it’s generally avoided by some vegans.
Natural And Artificial Flavorings
Natural flavors can either come from animal-based sources or plant-based sources. However, you’ll find most of the natural flavoring comes from plant-based sources.
Generally, as far as we know, Starburst doesn’t use animal-based flavoring. But if you’re uncertain, it is best to avoid this ingredient.
Food Coloring
While food coloring is generally considered vegan, other vegans may consider it not.
That’s because food coloring has been tested on animals before. However, this article has considered that most of the food coloring used is vegan.
Yet there are some animal-based coloring, such as carmine, and we will keep those in account when we talk about food coloring.
Starburst Chews
Starburst Chews are what you expect when you look for Starburst. These classic candies come in a rectangular shape and have had several different types over the years.
We’ve compiled a list of the different flavors available and what to expect. However, the ingredients for the American flavors are all taken from the Original ingredients, so the food coloring may be different.
Remember to check the packaging before you purchase any of these candies.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Original: Cherry, Orange, Strawberry, and Lemon
FaveReds: Cherry, Strawberry, Fruit-Punch, and Watermelon
AllPink: Strawberry
Duos: Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Strawberry Watermelon
Ingredients Used
Sugar
Corn Syrup
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Citric Acid
Tapioca Dextrin
Gelatin
Apple Juice from Concentrate
Modified Corn Starch
Natural and Artificial Flavoring
Added Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1)
Starburst chews are also incredibly popular in the UK. Due to that, we’ve included the ingredients used in the English recipe.
As you can see, there is no gelatin included in the UK recipe. Thus, they are vegan-friendly. However, the American editions are not.
Ingredients Used In The UK
Glucose Syrup
Sugar
Palm Fat
Concentrated Fruit Juices (Apple, Orange, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Lime, Lemon)
Citric Acid
Modified Starch
Malic Acid
Dextrin
Flavorings
Maltodextrin
Antioxidant Ascorbic Acid
Emulsifier Lecithin
Colors Anthocyanins
Beta-Carotene: Spirulina Extract
Starburst Minis
Starburst Minis are essentially a smaller, more compact version of your regular Starburst packets. They come in three different flavor packets, but the ingredients we have taken from here are from Starburst Minis Originals.
Down below, we’ve compiled a list of their ingredients, and while they don’t contain gelatin, they do contain confectioner’s glaze, so they aren’t vegan.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Original: Cherry, Orange, Strawberry, and Lemon
FaveReds: Watermelon, Cherry, Strawberry, and Fruit Punch
Sours: Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and Strawberry
Ingredients Used
Sugar
Corn Syrup
Palm Oil
Citric Acid
Sodium Citrate
Pectin
Apple Juice from Concentrate
Mono- And Diglycerides
Confectioner’s Glaze
Natural and Artificial Flavoring
Added Colors (Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
Carnauba Wax
As you can see, Starburst Minis use a confectioner’s glaze to give these smaller treats a slight shine to them. However, Starburst Minis in the UK are designed to be the Original treat but smaller.
You’ll also find they don’t have an added sheen to them and are recommended for vegetarians and vegans.
Ingredients Used In The UK
Sugar
Glucose Syrup
Palm Fat
Citric Acid
Concentrated Fruit Juices (Apple, Orange, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Lime, Lemon)
Dextrin
Modified Starch
Maltodextrin
Flavorings
Emulsifier Lecithin
Concentrates (Radish, Sweet Potato, Carthamus)
Colors Anthocyanins
Beta-Carotene
Vegetable Carbon
Starburst Jellybeans
Starburst Jellybeans are an Easter favorite, and only come out during this season.
They’re only released in the United States during this time of year. However, they aren’t exactly vegan-friendly.
While they don’t contain gelatin, they do contain beeswax. Due to this, vegans can’t enjoy Starburst Jellybeans.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
As they only come out during Easter, they only appear in the original flavors, Packets are filled with these flavors:
Cherry
Orange
Lemon
Green Apple
Grape
Strawberry
Ingredients Used
Sugar
Corn Syrup
Modified Corn Starch
Citric Acid
Acacia
Apple Juice from Concentrate
Natural and Artificial Flavoring
Sodium Citrate
Carnauba Wax
Added Colors (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Titanium Dioxide)
Mineral Oil
Beeswax
Starburst Swirlers
Starburst Swirlers are only sold in the United States and aren’t sold in the United Kingdom.
However, they can be imported to the UK. These are a selection of chewy sticks with ingredients combining two flavors in one.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what colors are added to these candies, but they do contain palm oil. So if you don’t want to include palm oil in your ingredients, it is best to avoid these.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Starburst Swirlers are only available in one flavor. They’re designed to have two flavors in one. So you can have:
Cherry-Lemon
Strawberry-Orange
Cherry-Strawberry
Ingredients Used
Sugar
Corn Syrup
Palm Oil
Citric Acid
Pectin
Sodium Citrate
Apple Juice from Concentrate
Natural and Artificial Flavors
Mono- and Diglycerides
Added Colors
Starburst Airs
Starburst Airs are a soft gummy candy that has a soft and squishy texture, giving it an airy feel. They’re not designed to be difficult to chew, and so they won’t stick to your teeth.
However, vegans won’t be able to enjoy these as they are made with gelatin. Unfortunately, there is no UK equivalent to these, and the only way to have these in the UK is to import them from an American store.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Original: Cherry, Strawberry, Lemon, and Orange
Sour Tropical: Kiwi Strawberry, Pineapple, Passion Fruit, and Mango
Ingredient Used
Corn Syrup
Sugar
Water
Gelatin
Citric Acid
Pectin
Malic Acid
Modified Corn Starch
Sodium Citrate
Natural and Artificial Flavors
Mineral Oil
Carnauba Wax
Added Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
Starburst Gummies
Starburst Gummies have all the flavors you would expect, but they appear in a gummy form. As they’re what the Airs are adapted from, they unfortunately contain gelatin. They also don’t have an available version in the UK.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Original: Strawberry, Cherry, Orange, and Lemon
Sours: Cherry, Strawberry, Blue Raspberry, and Watermelon
Ingredients Used
Corn Syrup
Sugar
Water
Modified Corn Starch
Gelatin
Citric Acid
Natural and Artificial Flavoring
Mineral Oil
Added Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
Carnauba Wax
Starburst Original Gum
In the UK, Wrigleys are well-known for their gum. So it’s no surprise that there is a Starburst chewing gum.
You can easily order these online, because you won’t be able to find them in the US. But the good news about these is that they are in fact vegan.
There are no animal ingredients found anywhere on the packaging. However, these gums can be difficult to find, so you will have to hunt around online for them.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Starburst chewing gum only appears as Starburst’s original flavor. Due to that, you’ll find there is an assorted collection of these flavors:
Cherry
Orange
Strawberry
Lemon
Ingredients Used
Xylitol
Gum Base
Natural and Artificial Flavoring
Acacia
Citric Acid
Soy Lecithin
Sorbitol
Aspartame
Malic Acid
Mannitol
Acesulfame K
Carnauba Wax
Sucralose
Fumaric Acid
BHT
Added Colors (Red 40 Lake)
What Is A Vegan-Alternative To Starburst In The US?
If you don’t want to hunt online to import Starburst from the UK, then we can offer you vegan-alternatives that you can find in the United States.
You’ll find that if you want something similar to Starburst, you can always look for Organic Fruit Chews from Wholesome.
These Organic Fruit Chews appear in four different flavors online including:
Cinnamon Bears
Delish Fish
Fruit Chews
Variety Pack
According to Amazon, they use organic fruit and vegetables for their artificial colors and flavors, and come in cherry, lemon, strawberry, and orange flavors. So, they should ease your craving for some vegan Starburst.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, if you’re looking to find out if any Starburst candy is vegan, then you’re out of luck if you find them in America.
The only way you can enjoy a vegan version is if you imported a pack of the UK edition of the sweets.
If you want an alternative, we recommend trying Organic Fruit Chews from Wholesome, as they are flavored with fruit and vegetables for ingredients.
Many of the US ingredients of Starburst contain gelatin, confectioner’s glaze, palm oil, and beeswax. Ultimately making most of them not even vegetarian-friendly either.
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