Does Haribo Have Red 40? Yes: Goldbears vs Black Forest

Yes: US Haribo Goldbears list Red 40, along with Yellow 5 and Blue 1. Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears color with organic fruit and vegetable juice and organic turmeric instead, and the two labels differ by one gram of added sugar per 30 g.

Key takeaways

• Per 30 g, Haribo Goldbears (US) lists 14 g total sugars and 14 g added sugars in 13 pieces. Black Forest lists 15 g total sugars and 15 g added sugars in 9 pieces.
• Haribo's color list is Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue 1. Black Forest lists organic fruit and vegetable juice (color) and organic turmeric (color).
• Both products contain gelatin. The Haribo label lists wheat-derived ingredients and a may-contain wheat statement.

How much sugar and added sugar is in 30 g of each bear?

Haribo Goldbears (US) lists 14 g added sugars per 30 g (13 pieces, per Open Food Facts), while Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears lists 15 g added sugars per 30 g (9 pieces, 30% DV) on its product page. Both panels use a 30 g serving, so the one-gram gap holds on a weight basis even though the piece counts differ.

Total sugars and added sugars each differ by one gram, and the complete panels appear in the table below.

Label factor (per 30 g serving)	HARIBO Goldbears (US)	Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears
Serving size	13 pieces (30 g)	9 pieces (30 g)
Servings per container	Not disclosed	About 8
Calories	100	100
Total fat	0 g	0 g (0%)
Sodium	5 mg	5 mg (0%)
Total carbohydrate	23 g (%DV not disclosed)	24 g (9%)
Total sugars	14 g	15 g
Added sugars	14 g (per Open Food Facts; not shown on Haribo's page)	15 g (30% DV)
Protein	2 g	1 g

The Black Forest panel lists 15 g added sugars as 30% Daily Value. The FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams per day and classifies 20% DV or more per serving as a high source of added sugars, so the 30% DV figure is a high source under that definition.

Haribo's percent Daily Value for added sugars was not disclosed, and its US product page does not display an Added Sugars line. The 14 g added-sugar figure for Haribo comes from the Open Food Facts record for a 5 oz package.

Carbohydrate, sugar and protein values are close, and the labels show nearly identical calories, fat and sodium.

How do Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1 differ from juice and turmeric colors?

Haribo Goldbears (US) colors its bears with Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue 1, which are FDA-certified synthetic colors, while Black Forest uses organic fruit and vegetable juice and organic turmeric as colors. Haribo's ingredient statement places its colors in the portion labeled 'contains less than 2%', while Black Forest's statement uses the wording 'contains 2% or less'.

FDA states that synthetic color additives, meaning certified colors, must undergo batch certification by the agency. FDA's color additives questions and answers page lists FD&C Red No. 40 among its uses, including confections. Haribo's label names the colors in the abbreviated forms Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue 1.

Black Forest's ingredient statement lists organic fruit and vegetable juice (color) and organic turmeric (color). Its product page describes the bears as made with colors from real fruits and veggies and states 'No artificial colors.' The amount in milligrams of any color additive in either product was not disclosed.

Why does Black Forest's juice-based color still count as a color additive?

FDA's definition of color additives covers pigments from natural sources such as vegetables, and exempt colors are still color additives that FDA must approve before they are used in food. The FDA's color additives questions and answers page sets out that framework.

The practical difference is the certification pathway, not whether the color is regulated at all. The Black Forest label lists its juice and turmeric colors by name with the word '(color)' attached. The 'No artificial colors' statement on the product page does not mean the product contains no color additives.

Who should check these labels closely: parents, gelatin or wheat concerns?

Parents of young children, people avoiding gelatin, and people managing wheat-related concerns may want to read the full ingredient statement and Nutrition Facts panel closely. Both products are educational examples here, not recommendations for any person.

• Gelatin: both ingredient lists include gelatin. Readers who avoid animal-derived ingredients should check the full statement for each package.
• Wheat: the Haribo statement lists glucose syrup and dextrose 'from wheat or corn' and carries a may-contain wheat statement. The Black Forest statement lists tapioca syrup and tapioca starch, and no wheat appears in its ingredient list.
• Milk: Haribo's may-contain statement also lists traces of milk. Black Forest's ingredient list does not show milk.
• Country and batch differences: the Haribo product page states that ingredients and nutritional values may vary by country, and which bag sizes or regions carry any given recipe was not disclosed.

People with celiac disease or a wheat allergy should rely on the full package label and a clinician's guidance rather than a comparison article.

How do you spot synthetic dyes versus juice and turmeric colors on a label?

On a US label, certified synthetic colors appear by name, such as Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 1. Colors from natural sources often appear with a descriptor such as '(color)' after the source name, as in organic fruit and vegetable juice (color). Reading the ingredient statement in order helps show where each color falls. For a broader method, see Color Added vs Named Colors: 6 Scanned Labels Without FD&C Dyes.

• Look for FD&C names or abbreviated names such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1.
• Look for source-based color names such as juice, vegetable concentrate or turmeric followed by '(color)'.
• Check whether the product page makes a color claim, such as 'No artificial colors,' and compare that claim with the ingredient statement.
• Remember that the amount of any color additive is usually not printed on the label, so the presence of a color name does not indicate how much is used.

How do the two Nutrition Facts panels compare for both bears?

The two Nutrition Facts panels are nearly identical on calories, fat and sodium, and they differ mainly in piece count, carbohydrate, protein and the added sugars line. Haribo's product page does not show an added sugars line, so the 14 g added-sugar figure cited here comes from the Open Food Facts record.

When reading either panel, start with the serving size and the number of pieces, then compare grams per serving. The added sugars line is listed separately from total sugars, so check it on the package you hold. The FDA's guidance on added sugars explains how the line is calculated and how Daily Value percentages are set.

The Nutrition Facts panel is the source of truth for a specific package. Values can differ by country, bag size and production run, so the numbers in this comparison may not match every package on a shelf.

Which other food-dye comparisons can help shoppers compare labels?

Aurascan's related comparisons apply the same label-reading method to other products that list dyes. Readers comparing candy colors may find Skittles vs M&M's: Which Has More Dyes? Both Use the Same 5 useful, and Does Fruit by the Foot Have Red 40? Roll-Ups Compared covers a fruit-flavored snack.

Each comparison uses the same approach: the ingredient statement, the Nutrition Facts panel and the regulatory status of each named color, set side by side.

Related reading: Gelatin also shows up in marshmallows. Do Jet-Puffed Marshmallows Have Gelatin? Dandies Don't compares the gelatin, Blue 1 and added sugar on Jet-Puffed's label with gelatin-free Dandies.