Skittles go by the theme ‘taste the rainbow’ and rightfully so. They are colorful, fruit flavored sweets by Wrigley’s Company. Yet, don’t be in a rush to have them because health-wise, they can cause serious havoc on the inside. Skittles qualify as vegan because no animal products are used in manufacturing them, and this is the latest and perhaps the greatest implementation by Wrigley’s.

Up until 2009, skittles did contain animal products like gelatin. The company, later on, eliminated gelatin from its ingredients’ list. Additionally, it also used to contain E120 cochineal/carmine, a totally non-vegan red coloring extracted from crushed bugs (amazing!).

What’s in Skittles?

In as much as these mouth-watering sweets are vegan, some sources discourage people from taking them for other non-vegan but arguably valid reasons such as their questionable ingredients and most especially the food coloring used in them. The food colorings used in them such as Red 40 and Yellow 6 can cause serious diseases like cancer.

Another ingredient sparking debates is hydrogenated palm kernel oil from palm oil. Production of palm oil has adverse effects on the environment and animal habitats. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of deforestation. Check out this video explaining what is being sacrificed in order to produce palm oil:

This article is not aimed at discouraging you from eating Skittles, but simply to inform you what this product is made from and what the potential dangers are. In fact, you can go right ahead and spoil yourself to some ‘taste the rainbow’ flavor. However, be informed of its possible dangers especially if you are the type that hardly ever gets enough of them.

Here is a typical ingredients list for Orchard Skittles

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Citric Acid
• Tapioca Dextrin
• Modified Corn Starch
• Natural and Artificial Flavors
• Colors (Titanium Dioxide, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
• Sodium Citrate
• Carnauba Wax

For the health conscious vegans, there are certainly natural, better, and healthier options to Skittles like dried mulberries, the small dark grapes, frozen grapes, or almonds.

Will you eat Skittles after reading all this?