Are Mike and Ikes Vegan? | Does Mike and Ikes Have Gelatin?
Do you know what’s great about childhood? You get to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. And when you’re a kid, that means candy. You can have anything your heart desires—chocolate bars, fruit-flavored gums, and even soda in your favorite flavor (with or without caffeine).
When you were a kid, the only thing that mattered was having something sweet in your mouth. That’s why we love Mike and Ike: their fruity flavors transport us back to our childhoods and remind us of all those magical moments when life was simple and carefree.
As an vegan adult, It’s hard to find a treat which is vegan and gives mouthwatering goodness. So we have analyzed a number of candies like sour patch straws, laffy taffy, swedish fish, poptarts, airheads, lifesavers and many others for their vegan status.
In this article we are going talk about one such famous sugar treat, Mike and Ike candy. Before you take a bite of these fruity treats, you’ll want to know: are mike and ikes vegan?.
About Mike And Ikes – Brand Overview
Mike and Ikes, a brand of fruit-flavored chewy candies, have been around since 1940. The brand’s original formula was all fruit-flavored, and the first Mike and Ike’s were introduced with that flavor.
Since then, the company has introduced several varieties of Mike and Ikes with new flavors and colors. The candy is oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime.
Popular varieties are Tropical Typhoon (with a tropical punch flavor), Berry Blast (with a berry flavor), Jolly Joes (with a jolly rancher flavor), and Tropical Quake (with an earthquake shake). Each candy has seven calories, 0 grams of fat, and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free.
Mike And Ikes Ingredients
Mike and Ike are popular candies that many people enjoy eating. Here’s the list of ingredients it is made from
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Modified food starch
- Citric acid
- Malic acid
- fumaric acid
- Sodium Citrate
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Dextrin
- Confectioners glaze
- Carnauba wax
- Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)
- Red 40
- Yellow 5 and 6
- Blue 1
Many people are worried about whether or not these ingredients are vegan. Well Confectioners glaze, Red 40 (check the vegan status), Yellow 5 and 6, and Sugar are the questionable ingredients in Mike and Ikes.
Why Some People Consider Mikes and Ike Vegan
1. Mike And Ikes Do Not Contain Gelatin
You must have thought about Mike and Ikes and their controversy around Non-vegan: Does mike and ike have gelatin.
Have you ever wondered why some people consider Mike and Ike vegan? It’s because they have not used gelatin as an ingredient in their candies which is an animal product.
Gelatin is made from collagen, which comes from boiled bones, connective tissue, tendons, and other raw materials. Mike and Ike have not used animal byproducts in their candies, so they are vegan!
2. Mike And Ikes Do Not Contain Egg Albumin
Mike And Ikes does not contain egg albumin, a protein found in egg whites. Egg albumin is the primary source of protein in eggs and is also used as an emulsifier to keep ingredients in a product from separating. Because Mike And Ikes does not contain egg albumin, it is safe to say it is a vegan product.
3. Mike And Ikes Do Contain Not Red 40
The company sources its red dye from strawberries or petroleum jelly, so it’s vegan-friendly. In fact, the company has always been known for relying on natural ingredients rather than synthetic ones. People often consider it red 40; a red dye derived from an animal source.
Red 40 is made from carmine, a pigment extracted from crushed red bugs. It’s often mistaken for Red 40, another red pigment that doesn’t come from bugs. Mike And Ikes uses natural colors to create candies, making them vegan-friendly!
Are Mike And Ikes Healthy?
Mike and Ikes are bad for your health. We know, we know—you might have seen them around the corner and thought to yourself: “All of these people are crazy. These aren’t healthy foods.” You’d be right. Mike and Ikes aren’t perfect for you at all. They’re made primarily of refined sugars, which are unsuitable for teeth or your waistline.
It’s like candy for the teeth! And because they’re high in sugar, they can also cause obesity (which isn’t great either).High blood sugar causes diabetes—and it’s also linked to certain types of cancers! Food dyes are also a big problem regarding overall health—some studies have shown that red 40 has been tied up with the development of cancer in animals.
Vegan Status Of Other Mike and Ikes Varieties
1. Mike And Ike, Mega Mix Chewy Candy
Mike and Ike are classic candy that people of all ages love. But if you’re a vegan, you may wonder: what’s the status of other Mike and Ikes varieties?
Here’s a list of the ingredients in each of the Mike and Ike varieties:
Mega MixChewy Candy: Sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, modified food starch, Fumaric acid, Fruit juice from concentrate (orange, pear, strawberry, lime, lemon, and cherry), Natural and artificial flavors, Sodium citrate, Citric acid, Malic acid, Artificial color, Carnauba wax, Confectioners glaze, Medium-chain triglycerides, Yellows 5 and 6, Red 40
The most notable non-vegan ingredient in Mike and Ike is the confectioner’s glaze which is made from shellac (bettles) and Refined Sugar (a byproduct of animals) Also worth noting: Mike and Ike have a lot of artificial colors—including Red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6 —which are not vegan-friendly!
2. Mike And Ike, Megan Mix Sour Chewy Candy
Mike and Ikes are a classic candy treat. They’re chewy, sour, and oh-so-tasty. But what if you don’t want to eat any animal products?
The ingredient list of Megan Mix Sour Chewy Candy: Sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, modified food starch, Fumaric acid, Natural and artificial flavors, Sodium citrate, Citric acid, Malic acid, Artificial color, Carnauba wax, Confectioners glaze, Medium-chain triglycerides, Yellows 5 and 6, Red 40, Blue 1
Mike and Ikes contain several questionable ingredients that might surprise you. First up is Confectioners Glaze, Refined Sugars and Artificial Colours like Yellows 5 and 6, Red 40, Blue 1. These ingredients are derived from animal sources and therefore cannot be considered vegan.
3. Mike And Ike Rootbeer
The Mike and Ike rootbeer has everything vegan, but there’s a bit of controversy surrounding the rootbeer. The Mike and Ike rootbeer have largely the same ingredients as the other two versions of Mike and Ikes: Mega MixChewy Candy and Megan Mix Sour Chewy Candy. Sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, modified food starch, Fumaric acid, Natural and artificial flavors, Sodium citrate, Citric acid, Malic acid, Artificial color, Carnauba wax, Confectioners glaze, Medium-chain triglycerides, Yellows 5 and 6, Red 40, Blue 1
The only difference is that it does contain lactic acid. Lactic acid is a grey area because it’s an ingredient listed on PETA’s animal and potentially animal-derived ingredients list.But if you’re looking for a vegan option, this one gives you what you want without compromise.
Conclusion
We’ve all been there: You’ve just finished a long workday, you’re starving, and you want a little something sweet.
And you remember Mike and Ikes —the ultimate in fruit-flavored candies. A treat that’s hard to beat. They’re rich and chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
But You might find yourself standing in front of the candy aisle at your grocery store, debating between the options. Which are vegan? And if they’re not, which ones can you trust? It’s frustrating, right? to help you out we do have analyzed candies like sour patch kids, dum dums, extra gum, tootsie rolls for their vegan status. We hope this will help you out to clear some confusion!
