Would you love to know if Mountain Dew Is vegan-friendly?
Mountain Dew is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. It was first manufactured in 1940 and has since grown and become an international brand. Mountain Dew has various products such as:
- Mtn Dew Real Sugar
- Caffeine Free Mtn Dew
- Diet Mtn Dew
- Caffeine Free Diet Mtn Dew
- Diet Mtn Dew Code Red
- Mtn Dew Live Wire
- Mtn Dew Voltage
- Mtn Dew Citrus Cherry
- Mtn Dew Frost Bite Zero Sugar
- Mtn Dew Major Melon
- Mtn Dew Major Melon Zero Sugar
If you are reading this article, then you are definitely interested in finding out if Mountain Dew is vegan-friendly or not. Continue reading to find out if Mountain Dew is vegan-friendly.
Table of Contents
What is Mountain Dew Made Of?
Nutritional Facts
Ingredients
Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Concentrated Orange Juice, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Caffeine, Sodium Citrate, Gum Arabic, Erythorbic Acid (Preserves Freshness), Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Flavor), Yellow 5
Is Mountain Dew Vegan?
The answer is: No
For strict vegans, Mountain Dew is not vegan-friendly because it contains natural flavor and yellow 5, an artificial flavor.
Why is Mountain Dew Not Vegan?
Mountain Dew has natural flavor and yellow 5. This is a red flag for strict vegans because natural flavor may be sourced from lanolin (sheep’s wool) or lichen which is algae and is not an animal byproduct.
Lanolin is extracted from sheep by putting the sheep’s wool through a centrifuge machine which separates the oil from chemicals and debris. This process is not harmful to sheep as it occurs after the sheep have been sheared. The natural flavor from lanolin is not vegan and Mountain Dew does not specify if the natural flavor used in their products is vegan or not.
Yellow 5 is an artificial flavor. This is a problem for some vegans because it is still being tested on animals. This is unethical for most vegans and makes the products not vegan-friendly.
Final Thoughts
For non-vegans and people who are not strict vegans, Mountain Dew may appear vegan-friendly at first glance. However, for strict vegans, it is not considered vegan because of the natural flavor content as well as the Yellow 5 which is tested on animals.
For some, being a vegan is not a nutritional choice only, it is an ethical decision as well. Animal cruelty and mistreatment is unacceptable and any products that have ingredients that are tested on animals are considered as not vegan.
It may be a better choice to rather opt for soft drinks that are clearly vegan and do not have grey areas.
For more information on Mountain Dew and its products, you may visit the official website on: www.mountain dew.com.