Blog - Respectin’ Pectin
Respectin’ Pectin: Why CandyCan Avoids Using Animal Byproducts
Many traditional gummy candies, even many marketed by other companies as healthy gummies, contain gelatin, which is a byproduct of the meat and leather industries. Collagen harvested from leftover bones, skins, and other animal parts is used to produce gelatin. It’s frequently used to give gummy candies their distinctive texture. It is generally considered safe for consumption when prepared properly, though studies have acknowledged that improper production methods do introduce the risk of transmitting mad cow disease when bovine parts are the source material. Most recently the risk has been shown to be very small.
But why take the risk at all when a plant-based alternative exists? CandyCan’s low sugar gummy candy uses pectin, a plant-based ingredient which can provide the same wonderful gummy texture. Pectin is derived from fruits like apples, grapes, and cherries because they have high concentrations of pectin in their cellular makeup. The use of pectin in healthy candy isn’t just good for you, it’s good for the environment!
Why take the risk at all when a plant-based alternative exists?
Here’s what’s good for you:
- Reduced risk of food-borne illness
- Increased dietary fiber, which can
- Reduce your LDL or “bad” cholesterol which can negatively affect your heart health
- Potentially help you lose weight
- Regulate your bowel movements!
Here’s what’s good for the environment:
- Reduced demand for animal products -- livestock industries, especially cattle, are strongly linked to a variety of negative environmental impacts including
- Deforestation
- Acid Rain
- Global Warming
- Loss of Biodiversity and Destruction of Habitat
So for us, the choice was clear: we could make a low sugar candy that automatically had extra benefits for our customers and for the environment by choosing pectin as a main ingredient over gelatin. We think this also makes CandyCan a no-brainer for anyone looking to make positive changes for themselves and for the world.