British supermarket retailer Asda has vegan jelly pots.
The low-calorie jelly pots — each contains less than five calories — were released last year. The supermarket chain initially launched strawberry, orange, raspberry, and blackcurrant flavors; it recently added mango, piña colada, and peach fizz flavors to the mix.
The vegan desserts have proved popular with shoppers, with many taking to social media to celebrate the sweet treats. Julie Harris-Hughes from Asda’s desserts and baking team said in a statement last year, “It feels great to know that our customers are loving the work we’ve done in creating the range. It takes around seven months of hard work and customer research to launch a new product into an Asda store, so it’s great to know we’ve done a good job for our customers.”
“We wanted to create an alternative snack option with all the flavor of a full sugar jelly but without the calories,” she said, adding that they’re convenient, portable, and ideal for “healthy snacking.”
Harris-Hughes noted that the blackcurrant jelly tubs are juicy and taste “just like eating the real fruit.”
Unlike some jelly products, Asda’s don’t contain gelatin. Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and/or bones of cows, pigs, or fish. Gelatin appears in many products like non-vegan marshmallows, yogurt, cakes, face masks, wine, and shampoos.
Sustainable plant-based food ingredients company PURIS created a vegan alternative to gelatin using pea starch. The vegan gelatin is said to be more flavorful than its animal-based counterpart.
Collagen protein startup Geltor has a goal of filling the market demand for cruelty-free gelatin by 2020. Last year, the company raised $18.2 million in a Series A funding round to further its mission.
Gelatin-Free, Vegan Sweets
Vegan candy is becoming more popular, driving companies to create animal-free versions of much-loved sweets.
Asda offers vegan chocolate orange buttons, dairy-free Custard Creams-style biscuits, and plant-based cream cheese-style icing. Fellow UK retailer Marks & Spencer introduced gelatin-free vegan gummy flamingos earlier this year, and Holland & Barrett sells chocolate-covered marshmallows that contain no gelatin or other animal products.
Furniture giant IKEA launched gelatin-free vegan gummy candy in Europe. The candy, called Lördagsgodis, is available in three flavors: gooseberry, apple, and pear; raspberry, cranberry, and forest fruit; and sour rhubarb, lemon, and lime.
