Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan? Yes in the US, No in the UK (2026)

Sour Patch Kids are one of the most popular vegan candies in the US. "Sour, then sweet", they get their chew from corn starch rather than gelatin. The catch is that the Sour Patch Kids sold in the UK are made to a different recipe, and that one contains gelatin.

US Sour Patch Kids ingredients

The US ingredient list is: sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, tartaric acid, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, and the colors Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1.

Ingredient	Status	Why
Sugar, invert sugar	Grey area	US cane sugar may be filtered with bone char.
Corn syrup	Vegan	Made from corn starch.
Modified corn starch	Vegan	Sets the chew instead of gelatin.
Tartaric acid, citric acid	Vegan	The sour coating. Tartaric acid comes from grapes.
Natural and artificial flavor	Grey area	Source not stated; usually plant-based or synthetic.
Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1	Vegan	Synthetic dyes. Some vegans avoid them because of animal testing.

There's no gelatin, beeswax, shellac or carmine.

Which Sour Patch Kids are vegan?

Product	Status	Notes
Sour Patch Kids Original (US)	Vegan	Corn starch, not gelatin.
Watermelon, Berries, Strawberry, Blue Raspberry (US)	Vegan	Same base recipe.
Extreme, Big Kids, Heads (US)	Vegan	Same base recipe. Check the label.
Seasonal shapes (Bunnies, Hearts) (US)	Vegan	Check each bag.
Sour Patch Kids (UK)	Not vegan	Gelatin.
Sour Patch Kids ice cream, cereal and other licensed products	Check the label	Different recipes from different makers.

Why UK Sour Patch Kids are different

Sour Patch Kids sold in the UK are made to a European recipe, and that recipe includes gelatin and palm oil. So the same-looking pack can be vegan in New York and not vegan in Dublin or London. If you're in Ireland or the UK, check the ingredients: if you see gelatine, put it back.

The grey areas in US Sour Patch Kids

Most vegans eat US Sour Patch Kids. A few avoid them because:

Sugar: some US cane sugar is filtered through bone char, and Mondelez doesn't say whether its suppliers use it. More on sugar.
Dyes: Red 40 and the other synthetic colors have been tested on animals.
Natural flavors: the source isn't stated.

None of these leaves an animal ingredient in the candy, which is why we call them vegan.

Similar vegan candy

Swedish Fish, also made by Mondelez, are vegan in standard US bags.
Skittles are vegan in the US, UK and Ireland.
For more gelatin-free chews, see are gummies vegan.

The bottom line

In the US, Sour Patch Kids are vegan. In the UK and Ireland, check the pack: the European recipe contains gelatin.

FAQ

Are Sour Patch Kids vegan?

In the US, yes. They contain no gelatin, dairy, egg or insect-based colors. In the UK, Sour Patch Kids are made to a different recipe that contains gelatin, so they aren't vegan there.

Do Sour Patch Kids have gelatin?

Not in the US, where they're set with modified corn starch. UK Sour Patch Kids list gelatin.

Are Sour Patch Kids vegetarian?

US Sour Patch Kids are. UK Sour Patch Kids aren't, because of the gelatin.

Are Watermelon Sour Patch Kids vegan?

In the US, yes. They share the same base recipe as the original.

Why are some vegans unsure about Sour Patch Kids?

Three grey areas: US cane sugar may be filtered with bone char, the synthetic dyes have been tested on animals, and 'natural flavors' don't state their source. None is an animal ingredient in the candy itself.

Are Sour Patch Kids gluten-free?

The US original contains no gluten ingredients, but it isn't certified gluten-free.

Who makes Sour Patch Kids?

Mondelez International, which also makes Swedish Fish in the US.

What are vegan alternatives in the UK?

Many UK sour sweets are vegan, including Haribo Rainbow Strips Z!ng and several supermarket own-brand sour ranges labelled vegan. See our guide to vegan gummies.

Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan?