We all sometimes need help, support and advice on the path to a more conscientious, compassionate and sustainable life -and for all of those who are thinking to go vegan, sometimes they need support to lead such a different life.

We say different in a sense that it is something completely different from your usual life, and finding products that are vegan may be a challenging task; but with a bit of practice, we are sure that you will be able to do if you are dedicated to that task.

This is more the matter that is connected to the time that you will dedicate to your food, for example, and choose the right options for yourself and your family; in the end, it is truly important to eat (not just vegan) but also healthy.

You want to go vegan, but you don’t know how; maybe you have tried so many times, but you find so hard to give up on favorite food, candy for example? Are you looking for specific answers to your diet questions, on what kind of food to choose what is allowed, and what is off the limits?

The context does not understand your choice, and you need the support of like-minded people – you can find it online, we promise. The most important thing to do is to educate yourself to the point that your vegan diet truly becomes a part of your life, something like a routine.

We are here to give you new knowledge, encouragement and motivation to move on to a vegan lifestyle through education and why not some form of communication. This is all part of the process is discovery what produces are not vegan and what are; it will be done by a look at the ingredients of a certain product, in this case, candy.

One note must be added here – there are many levels on what vegan for you means, there are ethical reasons behind your choices, and there are those that are mostly related to health. All of them are justified.

Today we would like to find the answer to the question -can vegans eat Swedish Fish, one very popular and interesting candy that is beloved around the world (not just in Sweden), and what are the ingredients in this candy that comes, as expected as a red fish candy.

Swedish Fish -it is fruity, not fishy

First of all, for all those who have not got the chance to eat this candy, it is one that is very popular, originally red candy, but, nowadays comes in the variety of colors and flavors, for example, orange or lime. It is produced and mostly associated with Sweden, the country of its origin, and there can be found new kinds of such candy.

But the most popular remains the red candy in the shape of Fish – small or big, it is the symbol for all those who like to snack it.

What may come to you as a surprise is that this candy did originate from the U.S., somewhere in the late 50s, but the person who has made it was Swedish, indeed. It was the company named Malaco; they started exporting them the U.S. in the late 60s and early 70s, and later on such candy expanded its popularity around the world.

For many, the marketing for this product is amazing – it is truly interesting to look at its appearance, but at the same time you are eating a truly fruity candy. It is chewy and delightfully fruity.

People describe the taste of Swedish Fish as a mixture of cherry, blackcurrant, and something that resembles a fruit punch. It is sweet and chewy, maybe a bit sour; but one interesting question that we came across online, is precisely this one. People are arguing online what is the exact flavor of original Swedish Fish – some say just cherry, and others say a mixture of many other fruity flavors.

These gummies in the shape of Fish with the brand name on one side are marked as a vegan and cruelty-free product that all vegans and vegetarians could enjoy.

The original candy is red, there come in yellow color with the taste of lemon; purple (grape taste), green (lime flavoring), orange (orange taste). They come in two different sizes – mini and regular.

In Sweden, they are called “Pastellfiskar” or the Fish with pale color; and there you can buy this candy that is black, and it has a salty flavor.

Ingredients

This process of manufacturing candy is important and in the beginning, we must see what are the ingredients in the Swedish Fish – first, there is sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, modified food starch, palm kernel oil, natural and artificial flavors, carnauba wax and beeswax (this is the most interesting and problematic aspect of this product since some vegans do not eat any products or byproduct from honey, and in this case, beeswax is out the question).

We must add one more thing that is related to our story – some claim that they are covered in beeswax, while others say that this is not true and that they are waxed in carnauba wax that is vegan.

In some versions of this candy, there is palm oil that is because of the process of creation, a problem for some vegans, while for some it is not; and it is oil that is plant-based.

Are Swedish Fish Vegan? 

If you look at the ingredients on the Swedish Fish, you will see that they are mostly vegan, if not said differently; there are some versions of this candy that is not vegan.

Mostly the manufacturer solely utilizes carnauba wax as an appetizing and safe “skin” — to supplement attachment and sparkle to covers.

On some bags of this candy, you can find that there was used beeswax, but those are bags of this candy, they have the little cut on the head centre. Others that are made out of carnauba wax are safe for vegans.

It is the wax that comes from Brazil; at times, it is called Brazil wax or palm wax. It is obtained from the petals of the palm Copernicia prunifera that grows in Brazil.

Some say that they are not vegan if they contain beeswax as some say (it has not been confirmed), this is true for those vegans that do not eat honey and any byproduct derived from it.

Colors that are used in the process of making this candy do not come from the animal source, for example, red 4 comes from insects, but the red 40 that is used here comes from petroleum. In this sense, it is safe for vegans.

Are Swedish Fish Healthy? 

The study has revealed that a vegan diet produces the perfect amount of protein, and based on the instructions of the World Health Organization, it is 0.8 g / kg body weight, while for professionals the number is insignificantly higher.

The protein in your diet must have quality – it is essential to have varied nutrition that involves many assortments of foods to produce fundamental amino acids.

Of course, we know that you cannot miss out on candies, so you are looking for those that are safe for vegans, and this candy is, but do not eat it too much, vegan or non-vegan.

The healthier version of any candy, if you want to avoid sugars is to try those that are made with Stevia – it comes in many forms, the most valuable being the green powder (the dry ground leaves of the Stevia plant), but it also has a bitter note. You can use other natural substitutes like agave syrup. The recommendation of a healthy diet is to minimize the consumption of consumable sugar and enjoy naturally occurring sugars from foods.

Having said all of this, have one thing in your mind – occasionally you can snack your favorite candy, including Swedish Fish, it is only important that you do not eat it too much. Following this lead, it is not good or safe to eat anything too much, and this is especially true for candy, that is based on sugar.

In small amounts, it is ok, and it is ok with your vegan diet, then even better.

What we are saying is that you always have a choice what will you eat, and what is even more important, you are the one that chooses the amounts of the food that you are eating, vegan or not.

Summary

This is one candy that is very popular all over the world, in Europe that is its origin and also the USA, and it falls under the category of aerated sweets. What does this mean and what kind of candy is this? Does this mean that it can be vegan?

This means that this is the candy that has sodium bicarbonate added so that it becomes chewy and gummy, whatever you like it. For these purposes, it uses foams; this is a candy that does not contain gelatin and egg albumen that is most commonly used for these and similar purposes in the confectionery industry.

Instead of gelatin or eggs, the manufacturer in the case of Swedish Fish has used other lawyers like different carbohydrates, waxes, and pectin (usually it was added to sugar). In this way, it helps preserve the sweet, binds liquid, and supplement elasticity – in fact, all that we adore in these and similar type of candy is achieved by using the supplements that are not connected to the animal origin.

PETA has stated that beeswax is sometimes utilized in the creation of Swedish Fish candy. One note – the beeswax is generally utilized in the food product as well as cosmetic and pharma industry.

Instead, the manufacturer of the Swedish Fish has stated that it uses carnauba wax – but also it could be used corn, for example. Unless, of course, it is stated differently, as some claim. But, with the carnauba wax that we have spoken before, you are safe.

In the end, color agents that are used in Swedish Fish – are vegan, it is not Red 4 that comes from insects, but it is Red 40 that is obtained from petroleum or strawberries (we understand why there is so much trouble regarding this matter, but it is not justifiable, they maybe share similar name, but the origin is completely different).

Other two colors that are here Yellow 5 and 6 are also derived from petroleum (they are vegan and safe to consume); also a Blue color that is used here is a synthetic color, so it is vegan and once again, safe to use.

In the end, let us sum up all that we wanted to say – the fact is that we cannot have complete control over the food we eat, but by limiting processed products and choosing whole foods from organic farming, if possible from proven local producers, we increase the safety of our food.

Also, what we should do is to always look deeply into the products that we buy in stores and read all about the ingredients list, on the label, but the most important is to have trust in the manufacturer that produces a product that you want to eat/buy.

What should be the basis of our diet are whole processed foods that preserve the natural richness of nutrients. The healthiest foods are common everyday foods like fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, cold-pressed unrefined oils and various spices.

Always read the declaration on the product, and the simple rule is that the more unknown ingredients, the farther the product from its original shape. Such products are designed to make the taste, smell and appearance as attractive as possible to the customer and last as long as possible on the shelf.

In the end, always do what you feel is right; there is no one who can tell you what is right; just try to stay informed.