Gumdrops, gummy bears, licorice, lollipops, sour worms, gumballs, caramels, taffy, chocolate. O candy. So sweetly sinful and sinfully sweet!

Let’s be real. Of course candy has one form of sugar, sweetener or another in it. That ‘s where all the magical yumminess comes from. But if you’re going to indulge in a treat or two, choose ones with sustainably, ethically sourced organic ingredients. More importantly, don’t put questionable ingredients in your body like artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, and preservatives, GMOs, and duh, duh, duh… high fructose corn syrup!

After all, Halloween should be scary. Not your candy ingredients.

Here are our go-to candies. We trust these five brands because we put them through the wringer when we decided to carry them. We evaluated them on the quality of their ingredients, sustainability practices, whether they had a social mission, if they were allergy friendly, and if they could suit a variety of dietary needs – so you can have your sweets and enjoy them, too.

In no particular order:

1) Surf Sweets

Gummies, jelly beans, sour gummies, fruit rings
Sweetened with organic fruit juice
Certifications: Organic, Non-GMO Verified, Gluten Free, Vegan,
Free of dairy, casein, soy, corn syrup, artificial colours and flavours, top 10 allergens
Made in a nut-free facility
Giving back: 1% For The Planet member and to organizations that conserve the environment and support healthy child initiatives
www.surfsweets.com

2) GoBio!

Gummies, wine gums, yogurt fruit gummies, licorice
Certifications: Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan
Free of nuts, lactose, and artificial colouring and flavours
www.gobiofood.com

3) Denman Island Chocolate

Organic, fair trade chocolate made on Denman Island
Flavours: Cocoa Loco, Simply Dark, Zesty Orange, Toasted Hazelnut, Rosemary Baby, Razzle Dazzle, Gingerama, Espresso Chunk, Cool Mint, and Holy Mole
Environmental Partnerships: Sierra Club of BC, the Dogwood Initiative, Denman Island Conservancy, Western Canada Wilderness Committee, and the Georgia Straight Alliance
www.denmanislandchocolate.com

4) Yummy Earth

Sour beans, fruit bears, lollipops, drops, gummy worms, fruit snacks
Certifications: Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten Free
Coloured with fruits, vegetables and roots
Free of casein, high fructose corn syrup, peanuts, tree nuts; corn free options
www.yummyearth.com

5) Newman’s Own Organic

Licorice flavours: strawberry, pomegranate, black, sour strawberry, sour cherry, sour apple, sour mango
Mint flavours: cinnamon, peppermint, ginger, wintergreen
Organic and natural ingredients, Kosher
All profits go to charity and support causes such as addressing hunger, community empowerment, children’s health, and more.
www.newmansown.com