Smarties are on the market since 1937. Out grandparents remember them well. And yes, they pass the vegan test.

This is what a Smarties ingredients list looks like:

• Dextrose
• Citric acid
• Calcium stearate
• Natural and artificial flavors
• Colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake)

And this is how Smarties are made:

One scare for any vegan would be the presence of calcium stearate in smarties. This element is mostly derived from animals. However, calcium stearate is also made from stearic acid, which although can be produced from the animal fat, is currently produced from vegetable fat.

Vegan does not necessarily mean healthy. The Red 40 food coloring is in the list of ingredients in Smarties. I have written about this chemical here. I would stay away from it.

Sugar

Smarties, like many other candies, contain sugar as part of the ingredients. It is important to note that some sugars are not vegan because they are filtered through bone char. However, since Smarties manufacturers do not declare which sugar is used, it can be assumed that Smarties, like any other candies, include sugar from cane.

What’s your opinion about Smarties?