Gobstoppers are a hard and round sugary candy that was popular with British school children in the first half of the 1900s. The term “gob” is the British slang term for the mouth.
They are also known as Everlasting Gobstoppers which came from the Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory story, in which the Gobstoppers never ran out. They can also be referred to as Jawbreakers, due to their hardness. (You don’t want to bite down on one!)
Are Gobstoppers Vegan or Vegetarian? It is safe to say that they are vegetarian and contain no animal meat. They also do not contain any obvious animal products that would make Gobstoppers non-vegan. But, there is an ingredient that can make them not vegan depending on how strict of a Vegan you might be. We’ll explore some more of this below.
What are Gobstoppers Made Of?
Gobstoppers consist of layers of mostly sugar in the form of dextrose and maltodextrin, corn syrup, water and food coloring.
Gobstoppers Ingredients
Here are the actual ingredients for Gobstoppers:
- Dextrose
- Maltodextrin
- and Less than 2% of Corn Syrup, Malic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Carnauba Wax, Natural Flavors, Color Added, Blue 1, Blue 2 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6.
- May contain Egg
Everlasting Gobstoppers Ingredients
Are Gobstoppers Vegan?
Gobstoppers do not contain any obvious non-vegan ingredients. For someone who is not a strict vegan, they could probably be considered Vegan.
But, there is a disclaimer that they may contain eggs. If Gobstoppers did contain eggs, then they would be non-vegan. It’s hard to know however if a particular gobstopper would have eggs in it or not. But since there is the possibility of them having eggs, this could make Gobstoppers non-vegan friendly.
Are Chewy Gobstoppers Vegan?
Chewy Gobstoppers are not vegan. They contain egg albumen or egg whites.
Video – Are Gobstoppers (Jawbreakers) Vegan or Vegetarian?
Another questionable ingredient is sugar. Some sugar that is made in the U.S. is made using bone char to whiten the sugar. The problem is, that it is very hard to know, even for the companies, if bone char was used in the processing of the sugar. So, it will be assumed that it was not. See Why Most Sugar is Now Vegan (Except for This)
Another questionable ingredient we have looked at in other vegan candy articles is artificial colors, which are found in Gobstoppers in abundance. Although artificial colors are not derived directly from animal sources and are plant-based or chemically based, they are tested on animals for safety reasons. For strict Vegans, this is not acceptable, and thus artificial colors like those found in Gobstoppers, are non-vegan.
Are Gobstoppers Vegetarian?
Gobstoppers seem to be vegetarian based on the ingredients list. There are no ingredients of concern and no animal meat present. Even if bone char were used in the making of the sugar, it is not left in the final sugar product.
Can Vegans Have Gobstoppers?
This will depend on how strict of a vegan you are. If you are only concerned with animal foods, such as meat and cheese, then Gobstoppers might be fine. The only concern is the fact that they may contain eggs.
If you are a stricter vegan, then some of the ingredients such as artificial food colorings may pose a problem.
Can Vegetarians Eat Jawbreakers?
Vegetarians can eat Jawbreakers or Gobstoppers. They contain no animal meat, which is the concern for vegetarians.
Vegan Candy
Here are some other popular candies we have written about. You can check to see if they are vegan as well!
Final Thoughts
Although Gobstoppers are mostly made of sugar and do not have any obvious animal products, there are some ingredients that might be considered non-vegan. These ingredients are sugar, depending on how it’s manufactured, and artificial colors since they are tested on animals.
There is also the mention in the ingredients list that the Gobstoppers might contain eggs, which is a non-vegan food. But it’s hard to know if a particular gobstopper might contain eggs or not.
It is safe to say however that Gobstoppers are vegetarian friendly since they contain no meat products.
Lance has been passionate about the plant-based diet and we have been following a whole food plant-based diet for over 5 years. We focus on health, natural healing, weight management, animal rights, and the health of the planet and environment by focusing on whole plant-based foods and sustainable practices.
Learn more at the About Me page and follow on social media at the links below.
