As a vegetarian, it is easy to avoid obvious non-vegan foods like meat and dairy, but there are other not-so-obvious food items that cause a lot of controversy. One of them is Trolli Gummy Worms, gummy candies produced by Trolli, a German confectionery brand.
The sour/sweet taste, bright colors, and chewiness of these gummy candies makes them a favorite among kids and adults alike.
As a vegetarian you might have been wondering, are Trolli gummy worms vegan?
In this article, we’ll dive into Trolli gummy worms, discuss every detail you need to know and come to a decisive conclusion on whether trolli gummy worms are vegan or not.
Do Trolli Have a Vegan Gummy Candies Range of Products?
Yes, Trolli have a very small vegan gummy candies range of products. However, gummy worms weren’t among the range we found.
Apfelgarten – Big Apple Vegan Trolli Sour Gummi Candy was the only vegan friendly Trolli candy we found in our research which doesn’t contain pork gelatin and suits a vegan lifestyle.
Is There Gelatin in Trolli Gummy Worms?
Trolli gummy worms have gelatin in them.
In fact, gelatin is one of the main ingredients used in producing gummy candies. It’s the gelatin that gives gummy candies their characteristic texture and mouthfeel.
Gelatin is a protein made from animal collagen, it is produced using animal remains like bones, tendon, and other parts that remain after the meat has been removed.
This means Trolli gummy worms are not vegan.
Do Trolli Gummy Worms Have Dairy?
On this front, Trolli gummy worms get a pass.
Trolli gummy worms are completely free of dairy, making them very safe for anyone who is lactose-intolerant or just excluding dairy from their diet in general.
All vegan food is dairy-free, but not all dairy-free food is vegan.
Trolli gummy worms are not vegan because they have other animal-derived ingredients.
Do Trolli Gummy Worms Contain Any Other Animal Products?
Trolli gummy worms contain other ingredients that might be obtained from animals. The ingredients are listed below:
Sugar: Bone black is widely used in the manufacturing process of sugar, it is used as a filter to give sugar its white appearance.
Bone black is a form of charcoal that is produced from heating bone, making it an animal product.
Corn syrup is a vegan alternative that is used by vegan brands to replace sugar.
You can look out for a pairing of corn syrup and modified food starch to reduce the sugar in your candies and jelly sweets.
Calcium: Depending on where the calcium is gotten from. It could be gotten from eggs or the shells of marine organisms.
This could be another possible animal product used in the production of Trolli gummy worms.
Is Trolli Gummy Worms Halal Range Suitable for Vegans?
“Halal” is a word or stamp used to determine if a particular food is suitable for consumption by people of the Muslim faith.
Just like vegans, there are certain foods that are prohibited for Muslims.
For example, pork is one of the prohibited foods, and gelatin is made from cows and pigs.
So, the halal range of Trolli gummy worms excludes ingredients that are considered haram by Muslims.
But the question is, does that make them suitable for vegans?
The simple answer is no, Trolli gummy worms halal range are not necessarily suitable for vegans because some meat products like poultry and eggs which are excluded from the vegan diet are halal and allowed by the Muslim religion.
Depending on what the Trolli gummy worms halal range is made of, they still have to be scrutinized by vegan standards to determine if they are vegan and suitable for vegans.
Why Trolli’s Vegetarian Range Isn’t Suitable For Vegans
The main bone of contention when it comes to gummy bears is gelatin.
Gelatin is a very important component in the production of a gummy candy because that’s what gives it the signature texture and feel.
Gelatin is also used locally at home for its adhesive properties, to provide a bonding texture of foods.
Are there vegan alternatives that can be used instead of gelatin as they appear in gummy candies and home cooking?
The answer is yes, there are alternatives that are vegan that will still give the same results as gelatin.
Vegetable Gelling Agents – Gelatin Alternatives
While animal gelatin is the most popular way of making a gummy candy.
This ingredient can be switched out for vegan alternatives.
Below are the ingredients you should be looking for to replace gelatin on the back of your vegan candies pack:
- Agar-agar
Agar-agar is an effective gelling and stabilizing agent. It is made from Japanese red algae and seaweed, making it completely vegan. It comes in two forms, powder or fiber.
Agar works just as well as gelatin and is used in dairy-free and vegan food products. Just like gelatin, it has no taste, smell, or color.
- Pectin
Pectin is clear and soluble in water and effective for making stuff stick together, just like gelatin. It’s an excellent substitute for gelatin as it’s made from citrus fruits.
- Carrageenan
Widely used in vegan cheese products, carrageenan is also extracted from red algae, but a different species from the one used for agar-agar.
It works well as a thickener and stabilizer, just like gelatin, just vegan and made completely from plants.
- Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch is made from tapioca root and is 95% carbohydrate. Its smoothness, stickiness, and consistency makes it an excellent vegan substitute for gelatin.
Vegan Gummy Worms Alternatives
Gelatin is one of the main ingredients used in the production of Trolli gummy worms that makes them not suitable for vegans.
Vegan gummy candies contain no gelatin or other animal products, they are completely made from plant derivatives.
There aren’t a lot of them out there but we’ve put together a list of vegan gummy candies that can serve as alternatives to Trolli gummy worms.
Vegan gummy bears feature heavily in our list below:
- Sour Patch Kids
Sour patch kids is a vegan alternative to Trolli gummy candies in terms of taste and availability. They are sour gummy worms that have a well-known sour taste paired with all kinds of shapes that are very popular among kids and adults all over the United States and beyond.
The absence of gelatin or other related animal products is what makes these sour gummy worms vegan. This sour candy has a characteristic sour taste that quickly changes to a sweeter taste.
- Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
If you are on the lookout for a completely organic and healthy alternative to Trolli gummy candies, you should check out Annie’s vegan candies. They have a lot of fruity flavors and come in bright and visually enticing packs.
They are gluten free and made from really fruit juice. They give you all the daily dose of vitamin C you need. This doesn’t mean you can make them your sole source of Vitamin C, but they are not just for the taste buds, they also nourish your body with an important vitamin.
- Project 7 Gummy Bears
This Trolli gummy candies alternative is made with pectin instead of gelatin and you can easily get your hands on one. They also contain less sugar when compared to regular candies like Trolli gummy candies.
They are more healthy than Trolli gummy worms because they are naturally sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. Stevia is a substitute for sugar made from the leaves of the stevia plant. The downside is people taste stevia differently, some people find it bitter and some think it has the same taste as menthol.
You might have to try it for yourself to see how it tastes, but it is a viable vegan alternative to Trolli gummy candies.
- Yumearth Organic Gummy Fruits
This is another Trolli gummy worms alternative made with pectin instead of gelatin. It is advertised as allergy friendly, gluten free, non-GMO, vegan, with no artificial flavors or dyes. It has a lot of flavors like Banana Blast, Strawberry Smash, Very Very Cherry, and Perfectly Peach.
According to their Amazon product description, they are proud to make safer allergy friendly and tasty treats that you can feel good about giving your family and sharing with friends.
They have a peculiar and pleasant texture due to the pectin. We are positive you are going to love this one.
- Jelly Belly Gummies
This one is made with tapioca syrup and comes in different varieties. They come in lemon, berry blue, berry cherry, green apple, and orange. The colors are also made from natural sources, which reduces the chemical and artificial content of these gummies.
Final Word – So, Are Trolli Gummy Worms Vegan?
Vegan products are free of pig fat, animal bones, animal fat, dairy products, any animal ingredients or non vegan component.
Trolli gummy worms have one or two of these so Trolli gummy worms are not vegan but we’ve listed several vegan candies as alternatives which contain natural and artificial flavors that aren’t animal derived.
This makes them handy and tasty vegan snacks.
