Are you on the lookout for the perfect Halloween candy treat collection or simply a snack to sneak in between meals? Mott’s fruit snacks are one such assortment of after-school or break-time snacking items that have created quite a stir among children and adults alike. Now, are Mott’s fruit snacks vegan?
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In this article, we will detail the list of ingredients that make Mott’s fruit snacks and then discuss whether vegans can consume these fruity delights without guilt. We will also look at the health benefits they have and try to gauge if there are any controversial ingredients in these treats. But first, let’s know a little more about Mott’s fruit snacks.
What Are Mott’s Fruit Snacks?
An all-American company, Mott’s has been producing apple-based products such as juices and sauces since 1842. They have expanded their snacking options with time, and one such welcoming inclusion is Mott’s fruit snacks. According to the manufacturer’s information, these treats combine real vegetable and fruit juices with delicious flavors.
Mott’s fruit snacks are available online on sites such as Amazon or Target or in walk-in stores such as Office Depot and Walmart. These fruity delicacies are available in 5 diverse flavors: Assorted Fruit, Assorted Fruit Plus Fiber, Berry, Tropical, Fruity Rolls.
Mott’s Fruit Snack Ingredients
Here’s an idea of what the ingredients list of Mott’s fruit snacks looks like, as printed on the label of the Assorted Fruit Plus Fiber variant:
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Pear Juice Concentrate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Strawberry Puree, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Fruit Pectin, Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Dextrose, Sunflower Oil, Color (Vegetable Juice, Fruit Juice, And Annatto Extract), Natural Flavor, and Carnauba Wax.
The list of ingredients remains constant, barring the change in flavors. The ingredients are all fully plant-based, including their colors which are typically man-made. Mott’s has been known to use a blend of natural sources, such as fruit and vegetable juice and natural extract as a food coloring. So if you have been worrying about the ingredients being tested out on animals, Mott’s assures you against it.
Controversial Ingredients to Look Out For
There are a few ingredients you might want to be wary of. Two of them are sugar and natural flavors. Their origin and refinement process are often left ambiguous, leading to much suspicion as to whether there were any “unfair” practices.
However, in Mott’s fruit snacks, the chances of including animal-based ingredients are relatively slim due to its fruit-centric flavor. But when it comes to sugar, the use of bone char is something to look out for. In America, bone char is still a commonly used ingredient in snacks, and often there’s no way to understand it from the printed ingredients list.
Are Mott’s Fruit Snacks Vegan?
The short answer is yes, Mott’s fruit snacks are largely vegan. They make sure of vegetable and fruit juices to offer a healthy and enjoyable snacking option. Here’s a little unknown fact: Mott’s offers natural alternatives to their competitors’ commonly used artificially formed counterparts.
Considering the use of bone char has been averted, Mott’s fruit snacks are great for vegans.
Health Benefits of Mott’s Fruit Snacks
One of the easiest and quickest ways to assess Mott’s fruit snacks’ healthiness is to check out the number of calories in them along with the amount of fat and beneficial nutrients. Here’s a list of the nutritional value offered by Mott’s fruit snacks:
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Total Carbs: 19g
- Sugar: 10g
- Protein: 0g
- Vitamin A: 4% of the daily value
- Vitamin C: 100% of the daily value
With merely 50 to 80 calories per portion, Mott’s fruit snacks are an enjoyable yet healthy snacking option. The inclusion of Vitamin A and C and the absence of fat are cherries on top.
Final Verdict | Are Mott’s Fruit Snacks Vegan
Here’s the takeaway: this fruity delicacy is 100% vegan for most vegans. But there’s no ignoring the fact that the use of controversial ingredients such as natural flavors and sugar can make you do a double-take.
Mott’s is not the only company with such controversial ingredient in fact, another popular candy laffy taffy also contains sugar, artificial colors and natural flavors. However, as we said, considering how these companies are focused on fruit flavors, it doesn’t make much sense to involve animal-based ingredients in their making. The only confusion is the source of the sugar; once that information is extracted, the rest can be deemed 100% vegan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Mott’s gummies gluten-free?
Yes, Mott’s gummies are 100% gluten and gelatin free, so if you are worried about the gluten content in your evening snack, Mott’s is a safe bet.
Do Mott’s fruit snacks have pork in them?
No, they do not. However, if you suspect otherwise, you are in your right to, considering many sweet producers use pork gelatin to give their candies a gummy-like texture. But Mott’s is an exception.
Do Mott’s fruit snacks contain bone char?
A natural carbon that is commonly used to provide color to sugar and make it seem more white is bone char. It has been ever-present in numerous companies’ sugar. The name connotes that bone char is typically cattle bones heated at high temperatures. Once heated, they resemble charcoal and are usually imported to the United States from other parts of the world.
Note that only cane sugar stands a chance to include bone char. So beet and coconut sugar are free from that list. If the label mentions “activated carbon,” rest assured it does not include bone char. The best way to know if Mott’s fruit snacks have bone char is to get in touch with the manufacturer.
