Are Skittles Gluten-Free? Here's What You Should Know

Skittles were (and still are) one of the sweets I would regularly eat growing up. I would always eat the yellow and green ones first and save up the red and purple Skittles for last because I thought they tasted better. But what do people who have dietary restrictions do? Are Skittles gluten-free? I wanted to find out so my gluten-intolerant friends can (hopefully) enjoy this candy with me.

Before we dissect what's inside Skittles, we should get more comfortable with knowing what a gluten restriction entails. In general, gluten comes from proteins found in wheat and allows foods to hold their shape. Wheat, barley, and rye are examples of grains that contain gluten. Thus, gluten-free would constitute of food that does not contain these proteins or wheats.

History of Skittles

Originally created in the UK, Skittles were first imported into the US in 1979. They were similar to chocolate M&M's in that they had a colorful exterior, but Skittles had a totally different flavor. In 1982, as the candy became more popular throughout the country, they started being manufactured in the US.Due to its growing popularity, new Skittles products were created the following years, such as sour Skittles, tropical flavored Skittles, and bubble gum-like Skittles.

Are Skittles Gluten-Free?

Yes, Skittles are gluten-free and gelatin-free. They proudly print this on the back of each Skittles wrapper. But, let's go over the ingredient list anyway.

Skittles contain the following ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil; less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, food coloring, sodium citrate, and carnauba wax.

Although the list is long, none of these ingredients contain gluten. You may think that corn syrup and corn starch have gluten, but they do not. This is the reason why they're often used as substitutes for flour in gluten-free recipes.

Now that we know Skittles are gluten-free, those of you with dietary restrictions can freely reach for the candy without worrying about how it will affect you (except for a massive sugar rush, that is!).