Are Nerds Vegan? Carmine, Gummy Clusters & Every Box Checked

Nerds look like they should be vegan: they're mostly sugar and dextrose. The problem is the color. To get that bright red and purple, Ferrara uses carmine in the classic box.

Nerds Grape & Strawberry ingredients

Ingredient	Status	Why
Dextrose, sugar, corn syrup	Vegan	Sugar is a grey area for some.
Malic acid	Vegan	The sour taste.
Gum arabic	Vegan	Tree sap used as a binder.
Natural flavors	Vegan	No animal source reported.
Carnauba wax	Vegan	Palm-leaf wax for the shine.
Blue 1, Blue 2 and Red 40 lakes	Vegan	Synthetic dyes.
Carmine color	Not vegan	Made from cochineal insects.

Which Nerds products are vegan?

Product	Status	What decides it
Grape & Strawberry box	Not vegan	Carmine.
Other two-flavor boxes	Check the label	Look for carmine in the colors.
Nerds Gummy Clusters	Not vegan	Gelatin and carmine.
Nerds Rope and Big Chewy	Check the label	Different recipes; read for gelatin and carmine.

Vegan candy instead of Nerds

For a crunchy, sour, colorful candy without insects, try the US Smarties roll, Dum Dums or Jolly Rancher hard candy. For something chewy, Skittles are vegan.

Why carmine is used

Carmine (also called cochineal extract, natural red 4 or E120) is a red color made from crushed cochineal insects. It's stable and bright, which is why candy makers use it for reds, pinks and purples. Synthetic reds such as Red 40 can do the same job, and many Nerds boxes already use them alongside carmine. See is carmine vegan for more.

How to check any Nerds product

Nerds spin-offs and limited editions don't always share the original recipe. Check the ingredients for:

Gelatin or gelatine: not vegan.
Carmine, cochineal or E120: an insect-based red.
Confectioner's glaze, shellac or E904: from lac insects.
Beeswax (E901): from bees.
Milk, whey or butter: dairy.

Carnauba wax, pectin, starch and gum arabic are all plant-based.

The bottom line

Classic Nerds aren't vegan because of carmine, and Nerds Gummy Clusters contain gelatin too. For a crunchy, sour vegan candy, try Smarties (US), Dum Dums or Jolly Rancher hard candy.

FAQ

What is carmine?

A red color made from cochineal insects. US labels must name it as 'carmine' or 'cochineal extract'. Read more about carmine.

Are Nerds Gummy Clusters vegan?

No. The ingredient list includes gelatin and carmine.

Are Nerds vegetarian?

Boxes colored with carmine aren't, by most vegetarians' standards, because the color comes from insects. Gummy Clusters aren't vegetarian because of the gelatin.

Are Nerds vegan?

Not the classic Grape & Strawberry box, which is colored with carmine from insects. Some other boxes may not use carmine, so check the colors.

Are Nerds Rope vegan?

Check the label. Nerds Rope has a gummy center, and gummy candy often contains gelatin.

Are Nerds gluten-free?

Classic Nerds contain no gluten ingredients. Check other Nerds products individually.

Who makes Nerds?

Ferrara Candy Company, which is owned by Ferrero.

Are Nerds Vegan?