Katjes Rolls Out Vegan Gummies at 1,200 Target Stores

Photo: Katjes

Vegan gummies are getting a much bigger spot on mainstream store shelves.

Katjes USA is rolling out five products at approximately 1,200 Target stores nationwide, significantly expanding the U.S. retail footprint for the family-owned candy brand and its colorful, gelatin-free gummies.

The Target launch follows Katjes’ growing availability at retailers including Wawa, Sheetz, Five Below and Fresh Thyme, as well as AMC Theatres.

And Seeing Green has already had a taste. We sampled some of Katjes’ newest gummies earlier this year at the Sweets & Snacks Expo — and can confirm that skipping the animal gelatin doesn’t mean skipping the chewy, fruity candy experience people expect from a gummy.

A Different Approach to a Familiar Candy

Katjes’ candy-making roots stretch back more than a century. The company traces its history to a family recipe brought from Sicily to Germany in 1910 and a small black licorice cat created by Klaus Fassin — “Katjes” is Dutch for kitten. Today, the company remains family-owned and is in its third generation.

Photo: Katjes

More recently, Katjes began rethinking what’s inside its candy. In 2016, the company removed animal gelatin from its gummies and transitioned its portfolio to vegetarian recipes. Vegan recipes followed, along with moves away from palm oil and high-fructose corn syrup and toward colors derived from plants and algae.

The company’s U.S. mission is straightforward: show that gummies can still be fun, colorful and delicious without animal gelatin.

Getting five products onto shelves at some 1,200 Target stores puts that proposition in front of a lot more of us — including those who may simply be looking for a good gummy rather than specifically seeking out a vegan one.

And that’s the kind of choice we like to see becoming easier to make.