Are you interested in finding out if Cocoa Pebbles are vegan-friendly?
Cocoa Pebbles are a crispy, rice-shaped, chocolate-flavored cereal manufactured by Post Consumer Brands. This brand has been around for 50 years and is popular mainly with young children. Post Consumer Brands also has other products under the Cocoa Pebbles umbrella such as the Cocoa Pebbles Crisps, International Delight Cocoa Pebbles Coffee Creamer and Cocoa Pebbles Flavored Light Ice Cream.
If you grew up eating Cocoa Pebbles, or if you have young children you would like to introduce to this popular cereal, you may be curious to find out if Cocoa Pebbles are vegan-friendly or not.
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Are Cocoa Pebbles Cereal Vegan-Friendly?
The answer is: No
No, Unfortunately, Cocoa Pebbles are not vegan-friendly. This is because although they do not contain any meat or dairy, they do contain ingredients that are derived from animal products. These ingredients are vitamin D3, sugar and natural flavors.
What are Cocoa Pebbles Made Of?
Cocoa Pebbles Ingredients:
Rice, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils), Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Salt, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors. Vitamins and Minerals: Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Zinc Oxide (Source of Zinc), Vitamin B6, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.
Why are Cocoa Pebbles Not Vegan-Friendly?
Cocoa Pebbles consist of three ingredients that may be problematic for vegans: vitamin D3, sugar and natural flavor.
Vitamin D3 is typically sourced from lanolin, which is sheep’s wool. While vitamin D3 may also be sourced from lichen, which is a vegan source, vitamin D3 found in cereals mostly comes from lanolin.
While sugar in itself is not sourced from animal products, it may be non-vegan. Sugar from sugar cane is not naturally white. It undergoes a filtration process where it comes in contact with bone char. Bone char is charred animal bones. Because of this filtration process, many vegans consider white sugar non-vegan.
Natural flavors may be vegan, and they may be non-vegan too. The natural flavors used in Cocoa Pebbles are not clear, so it may be safer to stay away.
Final Thoughts
Cocoa Pebbles are not vegan-friendly because they contain sugar, vitamin D3 and natural flavors. While it is unclear if the sugar and natural flavors in the cereal are non-vegan, they typically are. It is best that consumers opt for other brands that are certified vegan-friendly.
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