Trying to figure out if Welch’s Fruit Snacks are vegan and halal can sometimes be confusing.
Welch’s Fruit Snacks have many ingredients and flavors (including mixed fruits, berries, and tropical fruits) and some of them may be derived from animals.
To make sure you are only eating food that aligns with your vegan diet and ethics, I’ve looked into the ingredients and production processes of Welch’s Fruit Snacks.
And here’s what I found: Welch's fruit snacks are not vegan nor halal.
Keep reading to find out why Welch’s fruit snacks are not considered vegan friendly and halal.
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients used in Welch’s Fruit Snacks and examine the potential animal-derived ingredients.
Welch’s Fruit Snacks Ingredients:
Welch’s Fruit Snacks are available in 4 flavors, mixed fruits, berries, tropical fruits and superfruit mix. So we’re going to check the ingredients in every flavor.
1-Welch’s Fruit Snacks Mixed Fruit Ingredients
Welch’s Fruit Snacks Mixed Fruit are made with these ingredients:
- Fruit puree (grape, peach, orange, strawberry and raspberry).
- Corn syrup, chicory root extract, sugar.
- Modified corn starch, gelatin.
- Concord grape juice from concentrate.
- Citric acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
- Natural and artificial flavors, alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E).
- Vitamin A palmitate, sodium citrate.
- Coconut oil, carnauba wax, annatto (color).
- Turmeric (color), and fruit and vegetable juice (color).
2-Welch’s Fruit Snacks Berries ’n Cherries Ingredients
Welch’s Fruit Snacks Berries ’n Cherries are made with these ingredients:
- Fruit puree (pear, peach, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and cherry).
- Corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch.
- Modified tapioca starch, gelatin, pectin, citric acid (acidulant).
- Lactic acid, natural and artificial flavors, ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
- Alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), vitamin A palmitate.
- Sodium citrate, coconut oil, carnauba wax, red 40, and blue 1.
3-Welch’s Fruit Snacks Tropical Fruits Ingredients:
Welch’s Fruit Snacks Tropical Fruits are made with these ingredients:
- FRUIT PUREE 45% MIN. (GRAPE, PEACH, PEAR, BANANA, MANGO, KIWI, PASSION FRUIT, STRAWBERRY, GRAPEFRUIT AND PINEAPPLE).
- ADDED SUGARS (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR).
- MODIFIED STARCH, GELATIN, LACTIC ACID.
- CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.
- SODIUM CITRATE, COCONUT OIL.
- ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C).
- ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE (VITAMIN E).
- VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARNAUBA WAX, RED 40, BLUE 1, ANNATTO, TURMERIC.
4-Welch’s Fruit Snacks Superfruit Mix Ingredients:
Welch’s Fruit Snacks Superfruit Mix are made with these ingredients:
- FRUIT PUREE 45% MIN. (GRAPE, PEAR, APRICOT, KIWI, POMEGRANATE, BLACKBERRY, ACAI, BLUEBERRY, PASSIONFRUIT, STARFRUIT, GOJI AND DRAGONFRUIT).
- ADDED SUGARS (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR), MODIFIED STARCH.
- GELATIN, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS.
- SODIUM CITRATE, COCONUT OIL.
- ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C).
- ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE (VITAMIN E).
- VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARNAUBA WAX.
- FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXTRACT (WITH COLORING PURPOSES).
- ANNATTO, TURMERIC.
Now that we understand the ingredient list, let’s return to our main question: “are Welch’s Fruit Snacks vegan?”.
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks Vegan?
No, Welch's fruit snacks are not vegan, as they contain animal derived ingredient in the form of gelatin.
Based on the ingredients listed above, none of the Welch’s fruit snacks flavors are vegan friendly.
Gelatin is derived from collagen taken from animal skin and bones (from pigs).
It is used in fruit snacks as a gelling agent, because it helps to bind the ingredients together and give the snack a chewy texture.
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks Vegetarian?
No, Welch’s fruit snacks are not vegetarian.
Based on the definition of the vegetraian diet, the lacto vegetarians exclude all meat and animal products but do include dairy products.
Welch’s Fruit Snacks contain animal derived ingredients in the form of gelatin, which is usually made from pig skins, bovine hides and beef and porcine bones.
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks Halal?
No, Welch's fruit snacks are not halal. As i mentioned earlier, the snacks contain gelatin.
Gelatin is not considered halal because it is derived from the collagen in animal bones, skin, and connective tissue and exactly from pigs.
Consuming pork and pork derived ingredients is haram according to Islamic dietary laws.
Some gelatin product can be derived from halal source such as fish, but it’s best to check the source of the gelatin before consuming it.
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks Dairy Free?
Yes. Welch’s Fruit Snacks are dairy free.
Based on the ingredients we listed above, all Welch’s flavors are free from milk and milk derived ingredients.
Summary:
Welch's Fruit snacks are not vegan nor halal. The presence of gelatin makes them unsuitable for vegans and muslim.
