Are Skittles Vegan?

Original Skittles (Original, Wild Berry, Tropical, Sour) are free of direct animal-derived ingredients and widely accepted as vegan, but the Squishy Cloudz variety contains gelatin and is not vegan.

All US Skittles varieties (Original, Sour, Wild Berry, Tropical, Brightside, Darkside, Smoothies, Freeze Dried) contain no gluten ingredients and are widely considered gluten-free. Mars Wrigley does not pursue official gluten-free certification, and the company does not guarantee against cross-contamination in the manufacturing facility, so people with celiac disease should factor that in.

Yes, as of January 2025, the main Skittles production plant in Waco, Texas received OU Kosher Pareve certification from the Orthodox Union. Products made at that plant carry the OU symbol or can be identified by production codes containing YRV or WAC with a best-by date of June 2026 or later. Skittles Gummies are not addressed by this certification and contain gelatin, making them non-kosher.

Skittles contain no dairy ingredients, but Mars Wrigley manufactures products in facilities that also process dairy. The packaging does not carry a dairy-free or allergen-free certification. People with severe milk allergies should check the most recent packaging for any facility-level allergen warnings.

Both US and UK standard Skittles are gelatin-free and free of carmine (E120, cochineal). The US removed gelatin in 2009 and uses synthetic dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1). UK Skittles were reformulated around 2015 to remove carmine, and now use beet-derived and other plant-based colorings listed as E-numbers on UK labels. Both versions are considered vegan by mainstream standards, with bone-char sugar being the only shared caveat.

Yes. The original US formula contained gelatin (animal collagen used as a binder), which Mars Wrigley removed around 2009, replacing it with tapioca dextrin and modified corn starch. UK Skittles previously contained carmine (E120, a red dye made from crushed cochineal insects), which was removed around 2015. Both ingredients are now absent from standard hard-shell Skittles in the US and UK. Skittles Gummies, launched in 2021, reintroduced gelatin in that separate product line.

Variety matters: classic hard-shell Skittles are vegan, but Skittles Squishy Cloudz contain gelatin (animal collagen); additionally, the cane sugar used may be refined through bone char, which strict vegans consider non-vegan.

Vegan options include YumEarth Organic Fruit Chews (certified vegan, non-GMO), Surf Sweets Fruity Bears (gelatin-free, vegan), Swedish Fish (no gelatin, widely accepted as vegan), Airheads (no gelatin or carmine, vegan-friendly).

Skittles does not carry a third-party vegan certification, so the verdict here is based on its current ingredient list and manufacturer information.