Can Vegans Eat AirHeads?

AirHeads candies currently come in the following varieties:

• AirHeads
• AirHeads Bites
• AirHeads Soft Filled Bites
• AirHeads Xtremes
• AirHeads Xtremes Bites
• AirHeads Xtremes Sourfuls
• AirHeads Gummies
• AirHead Gum

So, are AirHeads vegan? Unfortunately, most AirHeads candies aren’t vegan, but many vegans can enjoy the original AirHeads and the White Mystery gum without worry because they don’t contain animal products. 

Vegan Flavors

The original AirHeads bars come in a .55-ounce size in the following flavors:

• Blue Raspberry
• Cherry
• Grape
• Green Apple
• Orange
• Strawberry
• Watermelon
• White Mystery

The White Mystery bar can be any of those flavors, but it’s white because they make it without the food coloring. AirHeads also sells a larger 1.5-ounce size in two flavor combinations: blue raspberry/cherry and strawberry/watermelon.

The main ingredient in original AirHeads is sugar. The following three ingredients are corn syrup, maltodextrin, and dextrose, which are more types of sugar. Other ingredients include corn starch, palm oil, artificial flavors, and food coloring. 

None of the ingredients in these candies contain animal products, but they both have refined sugar, which some strict vegans avoid. Original AirHeads also include palm oil, a controversial ingredient for many people.

The Problem With Sugar

Sugar doesn’t contain animal products, so it’s vegan in that sense of the word. But many companies that produce sugar use bone char to whiten the product. 

Bone char is a black, charcoal-like substance that forms from burning animal bones. No bone char remains in the sugar, but many strict vegans won’t eat it.

Other vegans and animal advocates, even the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), consider AirHeads vegan even though the sugar is probably not. 

So, are AirHeads vegan if they contain sugar made with bone char? Technically, yes, though each person has to decide whether to consume them based on their comfort level.

How To Find Vegan Sugar 

Depending on the country you live in, the white sugar in your pantry doesn’t contain animal products but has probably touched bone char. Check your sugar for a vegan label or ask the manufacturer about the filtering process.

Alternatively, you can opt for other sugar substitutes, such as:

• Beet sugar
• Raw sugar
• Coconut sugar

Sugar also can’t be Certified Organic if the company uses bone char. So, look out for the organic label when shopping for the sweet ingredient.

The Problem With Palm Oil

The palm oil industry devastatingly contributes to deforestation and animal harm by clearing trees and wildlife. This deforestation, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia, threatens endangered species like the orangutan. 

Many vegans reject products with palm oil because its production hurts animals and the environment. Some products contain Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO), produced by companies working to stop deforestation and reduce harm. 

The palm oil in AirHeads is not CSPO palm oil, so many strict vegans avoid eating the candy. 

AirHeads Gum

AirHeads gum comes in four flavors:

• White Mystery
• Blue Raspberry
• Cherry
• Watermelon. 

Only the White Mystery flavor is vegan-friendly. It doesn’t contain animal products and is also free of sugar and palm oil. The other flavors aren’t vegan or even vegetarian. 

AirHeads Lollipops

As of 2022, AirHeads don’t currently produce their lollipops, but they’re still available for sale in some stores. Sugar is the only ingredient that might prevent some vegans from enjoying them. Aside from that ingredient, they are free of animal products.

Non-Vegan Flavors

Other AirHeads candies, besides the original bars and the White Mystery gum, contain one or more animal-based products.

AirHeads Xtremes

AirHeads Extremes, also called AirHeads Xtremes Belts, come in one variety: Rainbow Berry. 

Unfortunately, the ingredients list contains glycerin, which can come from plant-based and animal-based fats. Since it doesn’t say vegetable glycerin, it might come from animal sources and make this candy unsuitable for vegans. 

AirHeads Bites

AirHeads Bites come in Original Fruit and White Mystery flavors. Neither flavor is suitable for vegans, though some vegetarians might find the ingredients acceptable. 

This candy contains beeswax. AirHeads Bites also include shellac, the secretion of the female Lac bug used in some foods to provide shine.

AirHeads Soft Filled Bites 

This candy comes only in the Original Fruit flavor and isn’t vegan because it contains gelatin. 

To make gelatin, manufacturers boil the bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage of slaughtered animals to remove the collagen. Thus, gelatin isn’t vegan or vegetarian. 

AirHeads Xtremes Bites 

AirHeads Xtremes Bites look the same as AirHeads Xtremes because they’re bite-sized pieces of the rainbow-colored belts that are the Xtremes. 

These bite-sized candies don’t contain the glycerin found in the original AirHeads Xtremes Belts. 

Unfortunately, the candy contains carmine, a food coloring produced by boiling and grinding cochineal beetles. 

AirHeads Xtremes Sourfuls

AirHeads Xtremes Sourfuls come in the flavor Rainbow Berry. This product contains glycerol, which like glycerin, can be animal-based. It also contains gelatin, so it’s not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. 

AirHeads Gummies

AirHead Gummies come in bags of mixed flavors. The gummy candy contains beeswax and gelatin. 

AirHeads Gum

The White Mystery flavor is the only AirHeads gum suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The other three flavors use carmine as coloring.