Are Gushers Vegan? | Are Gushers Gluten Free?
In recent years, there has been a growing concern among consumers about the type of diet they follow and the food products they consume. With an increasing number of people choosing to adopt a vegan lifestyle, the demand for vegan-friendly food products has skyrocketed.
Despite this trend, there are only limited vegan-friendly options for candies and snacks in the market, to name a few, like sour patch kids, Airheads, Lifesavers, sour punch straws, veggie straws, Takis, and Fritos. It’s not that simple to get vegan food. In reality, there is no guarantee that something is cruelty-free even if it contains vegan components!
One popular snack that has caused some confusion among the vegan community is Gushers, the fruity and juicy fruit snack made by General Mills. In this article, we will explore the question of are Gushers vegan? and what ingredients are used in the product? Whether you are a level-5 vegan or just looking to reduce your consumption of animal products, this article will provide you with the information you need to know.
About Fruit Gushers
Under the well-known Betty Crocker brand, a food manufacturing corporation by the name of General Mills first introduced these candies in 1991. They initially only offered Gushin’ Grape and Strawberry Splash as flavors.
Due to their distinctive textures and recognizable shape, these sweets became a huge success. Today, there is a wide range of tastes and kinds on the market.
Gushers are fruit snacks that differ from conventional fruit snacks in that they include a fruity liquid core. Gushers are available in various tastes, from sour to classic fruit flavors. The form of gushers is so unusual that it has a name: elongated hexagonal bipyramid.
However, no one appears to be particularly interested in its form, only in its mouthwatering flavour and distinctive texture. Gushers come in a variety of flavors, including tropical, sourberry, raspberry, lemonade, orange, and many others. Naturally, you must examine each taste to discover whether or not it is vegan.
Fruit Gusher Ingredients
Despite the variety, the majority of Gusher products are created with essentially the same components. The two key elements that vary from variety to variety are coloring and flavor. The few main components of Gushers include sugar, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, pear puree concentration, modified corn starch, fructose, maltodextrin, and palm oil.
Cottonseed oil, glycerine, grape juice concentrate, carrageenan, citric acid monoglycerides, sodium citrate, malic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), natural flavor, potassium citrate, agar-agar, xanthan gum, and coloring are among the other components that are present but less than 2%.
Questionable Ingredients In Fruit Gushers
1. Sugar
The exact type of sugar used in these candies is not specified by the manufacturer. Many processed foods and candies use sugar processed with bone char. Bone char is a form of activated carbon that is sometimes used in the refining process of sugar to remove impurities and achieve a white color.
If you have concerns about the origin of the sugar used in Gushers candies, I would recommend contacting the manufacturer for more information.
2. Modified Corn Starch
The key problem is that it is impossible to pinpoint the precise origin of these enzymes, which is usually how modified corn starch is created utilizing a variety of enzymes.
When modified corn starch contains enzymes derived from bacterial cultures, it is regarded as a vegan. Animal-product-fed microorganisms frequently generate these enzymes.
For capitalist producers, it is frequently more practical and cost-effective to obtain such enzymes from animals rather than plants. It is difficult to determine if the producer employed enzymes based on bacteria that were fed on plants or animals in such circumstances.
3. Palm Oil
Since palm oil comes from palm trees, it is a plant-based product. But this is when the argument enters the picture. Not because of the plant itself, but rather because of what it is doing to the rest of its surroundings, palm forests are renowned for being a destructive crop.
Since palm trees grow quickly and are simple to harvest, more and more businesses are choosing to plant them. Hundreds of acres of the natural forest must be cleared to make place for this lucrative tree. Deforestation has a terrible impact on nearby species.
Due to the fact that they negatively impact the environment as the meat industry, if not worse, many people do not consider this a vegan component.
4. Red 40, Yellow 5&6
Gushers come in a variety of colors to represent their various tastes. Because they are derived from plants, such as fruits and vegetables like beet juice or spinach powder, natural food colorings are often vegan.
However, some vegans may have a problem with the artificial coloring included in manufactured goods like Gushers. Strict vegans may avoid artificial colors since they are subjected to animal testing. A sort of food coloring made from beetles is called carmine. It is often referred to as “natural red 4.”
However, red dye40 and Yellow 5&6 is the most common type of red coloring used in processed goods, including Gushers. Since petroleum is used to make red dye 40, is vegan. Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow) and Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) are likewise made from petroleum. Strawberries are another source of yellow 6.
Are Gushers Gluten Free?
Grains, including wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and some varieties of oats, contain gluten, a unique form of protein. An increasing number of people are becoming allergic and sensitive to gluten. Gluten-sensitive people who ingest it may experience a severe inflammatory reaction that may send them to the hospital or necessitate the use of a life-saving epi-pen. Fortunately, Gushers are completely gluten-free! They are free of any gluten, wheat, cereals, or wheat starch.
Is Gushers Halal?
The Halal status of Gushers, a fruit snack made by General Mills, is not mentioned on its packaging or by the company. In general, halal certification depends on the ingredients used and the manufacturing process, and it can vary between countries and organizations. I would recommend contacting the manufacturer or checking with a trusted halal certification organization for more information.
Are Fruit Gushers Healthy?
Gushers are not good for you. There is really little nutritional advantage to eating a Gusher other than the raw calories it supplies, yet they are probably safe when included in a modest portion of a balanced diet. Gushers include a number of substances with questionable food safety that shouldn’t be consumed in excessive proportions.
It’s best to limit consumption of these snacks and opt for more vegan-friendly health snacks like thinkThin Protein Bars, No Cow Protein Bar, Square Bar, these are not only healthy but also give you a intake of protein and will satisfy your hunger.
How To Make Your Own Fruit Gusher
Ingredients for DIY Gushers
- Fruit gummies
- Liquid Candy
- Silicone candy mold
Step-by-Step Guide for Making Gushers at Home
- Start by putting one flavor of the fruit gummies into a plate that can be heated in the microwave.
- Melt in the microwave by heating for 10 seconds at a time.
- Avoid overheating them since they could become tough and impossible to chew.
- Spoon the gummy into the silicone mold, covering the bottom and sides with a spatula.
- Put the melted gummy mixture into the strawberry candy mold using a spatula.
- Leave space at the top and press some liquid candy into the gummy’s hollow.
- On top, add a further layer of the melted gummy. Make sure to completely enclose the liquid candy to prevent leakage.
- Keep for cooling and setting. After that, take your handmade Gushers out of the mould and eat them.
Final Thoughts
Comparatively speaking to other candies, it is reasonable to state that Gushers are vegan. However, based on your criteria, you could discover that this chewy candy is incompatible with your preferred methods of eating. If you are aware that gushers include several artificial additives, they are nonetheless rather tasty to consume.
The other questionable elements, though, are fiercely disputed. The glycerin used by The Gushers is derived from an unidentified animal source. Some vegans check the ingredients to see whether they include any animal products before buying. Others, on the other hand, think the product is appropriate after looking at its sustainability and unintended consequences on wildlife and animals.
After learning about these above-mentioned components, we advise enjoying this chewy candy if your veganism convictions allow it.
