As the UK is set to spend an estimated total of £777 million on Halloween this year[1], new ground-breaking research by vegan sweet brand Candy Kittens has revealed that 67% of Brits are unaware that they will be picking up sweets that are more trick and less treat – with the most popular sweets containing ingredients made from pig skin, bone, and cartilage.
In 2022, an estimated £550 million was spent on sweets for trick or treaters[2], with the average person spending £18.60 on Halloween treats – despite most being oblivious to the hidden nasties that are found inside them.
Shockingly, the study found that only 11% of people always read the list of ingredients before choosing a snack and only 1 in 10 (10%) think ingredients on snack packaging is very clear. With 9 out of 10 (90%) shoppers admitting that companies should be more transparent about what goes into their products.
Gelatine is made by the prolonged boiling up of skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones, usually obtained from cows or pigs, with water. It’s used to stabilise and thicken ingredients. These are the most common ingredients that are often not clearly labelled on the back of packaging.
The poll of 2,000 adults was commissioned by Candy Kittens – the gourmet sweet brand that uses a plant powered recipe throughout its entire range. They also found:
35% of Brits feel ‘disgusted’ to find gelatine contains components such as animal skin, bones, and cartilage.
86% of people surveyed that identified as vegan admitted that ‘sympathy to animals’ is what prompted their decision to become vegan.
22% say awareness of hidden nasties and less vague ingredients is enough to make them turn vegan.
A third (33%) say they would boycott their favourite snack or find another brand altogether if they knew it contained gelatine.
Jamie Laing, co-founder of Candy Kittens said: “Our research clearly shows that shoppers aren’t fully aware of what really goes into their sweets and they’re not making informed decisions on what they’re actually eating. As many more Brits begin to stock up on their Halloween treats, we believe that all brands should be 100% honest about their ingredients. We promise that our whole plant powered Candy Kittens range contains zero nasties: zero palm oil, zero animal products and zero artificial flavours. We’re made better, so we taste better”.
