Are Skittles Vegan? Every Flavor Checked (2026)

Skittles are one of the easiest candies for vegans. The original bag has no gelatin, no dairy and no insect-based colors. That wasn't always true, which is why the question still comes up.

Skittles ingredients, checked one by one

Here's what's on a US bag of Original Skittles, and why each ingredient passes or needs a closer look.

Ingredient	Status	Why
Sugar	Grey area	Some US cane sugar is filtered with bone char. None of it ends up in the candy.
Corn syrup	Vegan	Made from corn starch.
Hydrogenated palm kernel oil	Grey area	Plant-based, but palm oil is linked to deforestation.
Citric acid, sodium citrate	Vegan	Usually made by fermenting sugars.
Tapioca dextrin, modified corn starch	Vegan	Plant starches that set the chewy center.
Natural and artificial flavors	Vegan	The source isn't listed, but no animal-derived flavoring has been reported in Skittles, and vegan guides treat them as vegan.
Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2, plus their "lake" forms)	Vegan	Synthetic dyes. No carmine.
Carnauba wax	Vegan	A wax from palm leaves that gives the shine.

The only items vegans debate are sugar and palm oil. Neither contains anything from an animal, so most vegans eat Skittles without a second thought.

Which Skittles are vegan?

Product	Status	Notes
Skittles Original	Vegan	No gelatin since around 2010.
Skittles Sour	Vegan	Same base recipe with an acid coating.
Skittles Tropical	Vegan
Skittles Wild Berry	Vegan
Giant Skittles	Vegan
Skittles Gummies and novelty spin-offs	Check the label	Different recipes. Some gummy-style Skittles products have used gelatin.

Limited editions come and go, and they don't always share the original recipe. If a bag looks new to you, read the ingredient list for gelatin, carmine and confectioner's glaze.

Why people think Skittles aren't vegan

Until around 2010, Skittles contained gelatin, which is made from animal skin and bones. Older recipes also used carmine, a red color made from crushed cochineal insects. Mars Wrigley replaced both, but plenty of articles and forum threads from that era are still online.

UK and Irish Skittles

Skittles sold in the UK and Ireland are also free of animal ingredients. The European recipe uses different colorings from the US one, so the ingredient lists don't match word for word. Neither version contains gelatin or carmine.

Vegan candy like Skittles

If you like Skittles, these chewy candies are also vegan or mostly vegan: Airheads bars, Twizzlers and Jolly Rancher hard candy. US Starburst are the main one to watch, because the original fruit chews still contain gelatin.

FAQ

Do Skittles contain gelatin?

Not the main range. Skittles dropped gelatin around 2010. Some spin-off products have used gelatin, so check any gummy or novelty Skittles product on its own label.

Did Skittles ever contain carmine?

Older recipes used carmine, a red color made from insects. Current Skittles use synthetic colors such as Red 40 instead.

Are Skittles vegetarian?

Yes. Anything vegan is also vegetarian.

Are Skittles vegan in the UK and Ireland?

Yes. UK Skittles also have no animal-derived ingredients. The UK recipe uses different colors from the US recipe, so the ingredient lists look different, but neither contains gelatin or carmine.

Are Skittles Vegan?