Posted on December 30, 2010 by The VRG Blog Editor

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

The VRG recently reported that Skittles™ candy contains gelatin. We were told this information in November 2010 by a customer service representative at Wrigley, the company that manufactures Skittles™. At that time, we were told that Starburst™ and Skittles™ candy, both manufactured by Wrigley, contained the same ingredients, including gelatin (in this case, non-Kosher, beef-derived gelatin). It was explained to us that different ingredient proportions and preparation techniques resulted in two distinct candies.

A reader wrote in stating that Skittles™ had changed its formulation in 2010 and was now gelatin-free. The VRG went back to Wrigley for confirmation.

In December 2010, two other customer service representatives told us that at some unspecified date in "early" 2009, Skittles™ underwent a recipe reformulation that removed the gelatin. Since the Skittles™ shelf life is seventy-two weeks, there may still be some old-formulation Skittles™ containing gelatin on store shelves. The company could not specify where nor how much older formulation Skittles™ remain on store shelves. "Gelatin" would be listed on the label.

If gelatin is not listed on a Skittles™ label, customers can be sure that it is the newer formulation Skittles™ that does not contain gelatin. This newer formulation Skittles™ will have the phrase "gelatin-free" listed in the ingredients panel on its label.

Readers may be interested to know that Starburst™ still does contain non-Kosher beef-derived gelatin. Wrigley's GummiBursts™ contain non-Kosher pork-derived gelatin.

For more information on ingredients see http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support VRG’s ongoing ingredient research and outreach, please donate at: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

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