Out of 7 Bournville products, 5 are not vegan, and 2 are vegan but with cross-contamination(may contain milk) warning. While such items are technically vegan but ethically not, many vegans don’t eat them or buy products from brands that make dairy products. It all comes down to how strictly you follow veganism.
Bourneville Products and Ingredients
Cadbury Bournville has 7 different products. Let’s check the ingredients for each of them and see if they are non-vegan or vegan with a cross-contamination warning.
BournvilleGiatn Buttons: Not Vegan
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, palm oil, emulsifiers (SOYA lecithin, E476), skimmed milk powder.
Bournville Classic Dark Chocolate: Not Vegan
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, palm oil, emulsifiers (SOYA lecithin, E476), skimmed milk powder.
Bournville Old Jamaica: Not Vegan
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, raisins, cocoa mass, palm oil, emulsifiers (SOYA lecithin, E476), flavoring, skimmed milk powder, chocolate: cocoa solids 36% minimum, contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter.
Bournville Orange: Not Vegan
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, orange juice from concentrate (4%), palm oil, apple puree, emulsifier (SOYA lecithin, E476), pineapple fibers, acidity regulator (citric acid), gelling agent (E401), stabilizer (E341), natural flavoring, skimmed milk powder, color (paprika extract).
Bournville Cocoa: Vegan but with a may contain milk warning
Ingredients: Cocoa powder, acidity regulator (sodium carbonate).
Bournville Highlights Dark Chocolate: Not Vegan
Ingredients: Fat-reduced cocoa powder (39%), whey powder (from MILK), skimmed MILK powder, inulin, glucose syrup, palm oil, dark chocolate (5%) (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (SOYA lecithin)), salt, anti-caking agent (E551), MILK protein, thickener (E407), acidity regulator (sodium hydrogen carbonate), flavoring, sweeteners (sucralose, E950), emulsifier (E471), sugar.
Bournville Fingers: Vegan but with a may contain milk warning
Ingredients: Wheat flour (with calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), sugar, cocoa mass, vegetable fats (palm, sal, mango, and shea in varying proportions), cocoa butter, partially inverted sugar syrup, salt, emulsifiers (E476, SOYA lecithin), raising agents (ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates), flavoring.
Verdict: So, you see that most Bournville products are not vegan. The 2 vegan entries (Bournville Cocoa and fingers) have a may contain milk warning. This warning is displayed to tell the buyers that these products are processed on the same equipment that processes dairy-based items.
Why is there so much confusion about Cadbury Bournville being Vegan or not?
Bournville was vegan for a very long time. It changed the recipe in 2021, added milk in some items, and listed a may contain milk as a cross-contamination warning for some. So, if you are buying Bournville after a long time, don’t forget to check the ingredients, as you may be in for a big shock.
What about Palm Oil in Cadbury Bournville?
Mondelez International, the owner of Cadbury, has ensured that it obtains palm oil from sustainable sources. The company started working on this front in 2014, and now it uses 100% sustainable palm oil for all its brands. You can read more on this topic here.
Is Bournville Drinking Chocolate Vegan?
Bournville Highlights Dark Chocolate is not vegan, while Bournville Cocoa is vegan but with a cross-contamination warning for milk.
Is Bournville Chocolate Gluten-Free?
Some Bournville chocolates may have gluten. For example, Bournville Fingers have wheat as an ingredient, but it is vegan with a cross-contamination warning. So, it is recommended to check the packaging for gluten-free.
How to be sure that your Chocolate is 100% Vegan?
Here are a few tips to help you select 100% vegan chocolate regardless of the brand and type of chocolate.
- Look for a vegan label on the particular chocolate. Brands making vegan chocolates display vegan/dairy-free labels for vegans.
- Some chocolates may have a plant-based label. It doesn’t specify that the chocolate is 100% vegan as it may have sugar processed using bone char or contains other animal-derived ingredients like honey.
- Avoid chocolates containing milk, milk butter, milk fat, buttercream, milk solids, honey, lactose, whey, casein, or lactose.
- Cocoa butter is another common ingredient in many chocolates. It is 100% vegan and dairy-free in its raw form.
Dairy-Free/Vegan Alternatives to Bournville
There is a flurry of brands making vegan chocolates. You don’t have to go the extra mile to search for vegan chocolate, as you can easily find them in stores and online. Here are a few brands that you can try.
EVOLVED Organic Hazelnut Butter Filled Mylk Chocolate Bar
Made with 100% organic and vegan ingredients, the hazelnut bar is best for vegans looking for that extra crunch. It is USDA organic and vegan-certified, so you can relax and be sure that your chocolate is 100% cruelty-free.
Castle Kitchen Double Dutch Dark Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa Mix
Looking for a 100% vegan drinking chocolate? Here is your best bet. The cocoa mix is made with guar gum, cocoa powder, maltodextrin, and cane sugar. The cane sugar used is 100% organic and free from animal bone char.
Cocomels Chocolate Sea Salt Cocomel Bites
These chocolate bites are 100% vegan and will melt in your mouth, giving you the perfect creamy delight. It is USDA organic certified and made from organic bittersweet chocolate, cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar.
UNREAL Vegan Variety Pack
Enjoy dark vegan chocolate with coconut and peanut butter. The creamy delights are the perfect vegan alternative to non-vegan cocoanut and peanut butter chocolates. You will surely fall in love with them once you try.
No Whey Foods – Milkless Chocolate Bars
This 100% vegan chocolate is dairy, peanut, nut, soy, and gluten-free. Moreover, it is also free from artificial flavors. You can have it as a snack or use it in vegan recipes that call for melted chocolate.
Hu Chocolate Bars – 8 Variety Pack
Have you ever thought that vegans don’t have enough flavor options for chocolate? If yes, you are about to be proved wrong! Hu chocolate bar comes in 8 different vegan flavors to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Astor Chocolate Hazelnut Vegan Truffle Box
Amaze your vegan friends with this truffle box. The dark chocolate truffle box is a perfect gift box for vegan chocolate lovers.
Can Vegans Eat White Chocolate?
Most white chocolate you see in stores is not vegan as it contains dairy. However, there are many white chocolate alternatives available that you can buy.
Is Dark Chocolate Vegan?
It depends on the ingredients. Many brands like Lindt, Hershey’s, Whittaker’s, and Callebaut manufacture dark chocolate vegan.
Is Milk Chocolate Vegan?
Most commercial milk chocolate is not vegan. However, milk chocolates made with plant-based milk and organic sugar are vegan.
Is Costa Hot Chocolate Vegan?
Costa hot chocolate is vegan, but it comes with a cross-contamination warning. This warning specifies that a dairy ingredient can enter your drink as all Costa items are prepared in the same area.
Is Cadburys Hot Chocolate Vegan?
Cadbury hot chocolate doesn’t have any animal-derived ingredients but comes with a “may contain milk” warning. Consuming such items depends on how strictly you adhere to vegan principles and whether you eat items from brands that produce non-vegan products.
Is Starbucks Hot Chocolate Vegan?
Starbucks hot chocolate is not vegan by default. However, you can get your drink vegan by adding plant-based milk and removing animal-derived ingredients.
