Are Swedish Fish Vegan? A Closer Look at This Cult Candy

For many vegans and vegetarians, Swedish Fish candies seem like a convenient gas station snack choice. But are these chewy, colorful treats actually vegan? The answer isn’t so straightforward. While Swedish Fish don’t contain any obvious animal products like gelatin, some ingredients and production methods raise questions.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at what’s really in Swedish Fish, examining the potential issues from a vegan perspective. We’ll also overview different opinions on controversial ingredients like sugar and palm oil. Our goal is to provide the information you need to make an informed decision about whether these nostalgic candies align with your own vegan diet and ethics.

A Brief History of Swedish Fish

First, a quick history about how Swedish Fish came to be. The candy was created in the late 1950s by Swedish company Malaco as a unique take on gummy fish They were originally named “Malaco Seafood Bites” and came in just one color – red

The candy was marketed specifically to the United States, with the name soon changing to “Swedish Fish” along with new fruity flavor varieties. Today Swedish Fish production is handled by American snack giant Mondelez International. The candy remains a top-selling gummy brand now available in different colors and flavors.

The Ingredients Rundown – What’s in Swedish Fish?

Swedish Fish have a short and sweet ingredient list. According to the manufacturer the candies contain

• Sugar
• Corn syrup
• Modified corn starch
• White mineral oil
• Natural and artificial flavors
• FD&C Red 40 coloring
• Carnauba wax coating

So what’s potentially problematic about these ingredients for vegans? Let’s break it down.

The Sugar Factor

Sugar is the number one ingredient. There’s been much debate around whether sugar itself can be considered vegan. The concern stems from how most mass-produced white sugar is processed. It’s often filtered through bone char – charcoal made from animal bones – to achieve its coloration.

Many strict vegans avoid conventional white sugar for this reason. However, since bone char is only used in processing, it’s not present in the finished sugar. Other vegans may avoid it only if bone char is specifically indicated on the label or look for organic sugar that doesn’t undergo this process.

Artificial Colors

Red 40 dye gives Swedish Fish their signature color. While artificial colors themselves are vegan, as they aren’t animal-derived, there are other factors at play. Synthetic food dyes typically undergo animal testing during development and approval stages. This is a deal-breaker for vegans who boycott any items tested on animals.

Natural and Artificial Flavors

These undefined flavorings also give rise to concerns. Manufacturers don’t have to disclose what exactly they are. “Natural flavors” could potentially contain ingredients like fish or meat extracts, eggs, or dairy that would make them non-vegan. Vegan consumers have to trust that the company uses vegan-friendly natural flavorings.

Palm Oil

Some Swedish Fish varieties use palm oil to replace beeswax as a coating. While palm oil itself is plant-based, large-scale palm oil production has led to deforestation and destruction of wildlife habitats. Avoiding palm oil for this reason is a personal choice based on environmental ethics.

The Beeswax Controversy

Here’s where we get into one of the biggest gray areas for vegans – beeswax. Some packages of Swedish Fish list beeswax as their shiny outer coating instead of palm oil or carnauba wax.

Beeswax alone doesn’t contain animal products. It’s made from bees’ honeycomb. But many vegans still don’t consider it 100% vegan because harvesting beeswax can be seen as exploitative beekeeping practice.

The ethics around avoiding beeswax come down to a personal decision. There are good-faith arguments on both sides within the vegan community. Some vegans abstain from it entirely, while others may consume it in moderation from ethical beekeeping operations.

Checking Labels is Crucial

As we’ve seen, Swedish Fish ingredients can vary by package. Some use beeswax while others use vegan wax alternatives. Some contain palm oil while others don’t. So checking the ingredient label on each individual package is key for vegans.

Online stores like Amazon also don’t always accurately list ingredients for Swedish Fish, making in-person label reading vital. Don’t assume all packs of Swedish Fish candies will be vegan without verifying first.

Where Individual Vegans Stand

Given all the points raised, individual vegans make their own personal decisions on whether to consider Swedish Fish off-limits.

More strict vegans will avoid them entirely based on concerns around bone-char filtered sugar, artificial colors tested on animals, and any potential for non-vegan natural flavors or hidden animal-derived ingredients like beeswax.

Less strict vegans may look for Swedish Fish made without beeswax and eat them in moderation. They may be less concerned about sugar processing methods.

There are good-faith rationale on both ends of the spectrum. No single viewpoint represents all vegans. As with many gray area products, it’s about making the choice that you feel best about.

Alternatives for Vegans Avoiding Swedish Fish

Luckily, there are plenty of alternative vegan candies if you decide to give Swedish Fish a pass. Here are a few great options:

• YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks
• Surf Sweets Organic Fruity Bears
• Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
• Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers
• SmartSweets Sweet Fish

These contain no beeswax, bone-char sugar, or artificial colors. They’re made with only vegan ingredients and many are organic as well.

You can also make homemade Swedish Fish copycats using vegan jello, natural colors from beets or spinach, and agar agar powder to set them. Then coat them in carnauba wax.

The Verdict: Let Your Ethics Guide You

When it comes to Swedish Fish, personal vegan ethics play a big role. There are valid points on both sides of the debate around certain grey area ingredients. Every vegan ultimately has the right to decide where their own boundaries lie.

Hopefully this look behind the scenes at what goes into Swedish Fish provides helpful insight to inform your own decision-making process. If in doubt, opt for one of the many alternative vegan gummy candies out there!