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Side Step Sweets<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/vegnews.com\/media\/W1siZiIsIjI5MTkzL1ZlZ05ld3MuSmF5c29uVGF0dW0uU21hbGxXaW5zLmpwZyJdLFsicCIsInRodW1iIiwiMTYwMHg5NDYjIix7ImZvcm1hdCI6ImpwZyJ9XSxbInAiLCJvcHRpbWl6ZSJdXQ\/VegNews.JaysonTatum.SmallWins.jpg?sha=903cae5882941c8f\")
Professional basketball player Jayson Tatum\u2014a star player on NBA team Boston Celtics\u2014is getting into the vegan gummy candy industry with the launch of Side Step Sweets. In partnership with industry experts and investors, Tatum developed the brand in response to a lack of healthful and inspired candy options. Under the brand, Tatum is first launching gummy candy line Small Wins as a better treat for kids, made using natural colors and flavorings and with only 4 grams of sugar per serving.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a dad, I want to give my four-year-old son the world, but I also want to be mindful of the potentially harmful options out there,\u201d Tatum said. \u201cI helped develop Small Wins because I wanted parents, such as myself, to feel good about satisfying their child\u2019s sweet tooth. Small Wins is the first step in our goal of bringing better-for-you products to the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Small Wins gummies will be available in Sassy Strawberry, Perfect Peach, Whimsical Watermelon, and Groovy Green Apple flavors through the company website later this year. Visitors to the trade show Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago next week will be able to try the vegan gummy candies before they launch to the general public.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Side Step Sweets<\/p>\n
Gummy candies\u2014such as Haribo gummy bears\u2014are traditionally made with gelatin, which is derived from the connective tissue of animal bones, most commonly from pigs. Since this ingredient is off putting to many for ethical and religious reasons, new gummy candies made with plant-based substitutes such as fruit-derived pectin have become more popular in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
German brand Katjes will also be showcasing its vegan gummies at the Sweets & Snacks Expo next week. The brand has been perfecting its gelatin-free formula for the past decade and proudly embraces its vegan status. \u201cEssentially this means we are not putting slaughterhouse waste into our sweets,\u201d Katjes Head of Marketing Eliza Jahn said in a statement. \u201cWe like to proudly say, \u2018these are sweets you don\u2019t have to kill for.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"VegNews.KatjesVeganGummies\"](\"https:\/\/vegnews.com\/media\/29192\/VegNews.KatjesVeganGummies.jpg\")
Katjes<\/p>\n
Katjes<\/a> made its entry into the United States in May 2021 through a national launch at Walgreens where its colorful vegan gummies (which come in unicorn, fairy, and heart shapes) are available in three varieties: Rainbow, Sour, and Love & Stars (a red, white, and blue tribute to its US launch). This year, the brand is launching a fourth flavor themed around female empowerment and will announce additional retail distribution.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tatum\u2019s entry into the sweet world of vegan snacking follows the launch of Husk, a vegan popcorn brand developed by chef R.C. Mills and Scottie Pippen<\/a>\u2014an NBA legend who played for the Chicago Bulls for 12 seasons. Pippen and Mills developed the vegan brand over the course of several years with a mission to deliver a better-for-you snack for adults and children alike. Husk came to market in 2021 with six unique flavors made with wholesome ingredients: Moringa; Yacon and Turmeric; Cayenne and Ginger; Coconut Water and Matcha; Kale and Broccoli; and Spirulina and Dragon Fruit.\u00a0<\/p>\n And while he doesn\u2019t (yet) own a vegan snack brand, NBA star JaVale McGee<\/a> is an investor in Outstanding Foods, a plant-based brand known for its innovative snacks such as pig-free pork rinds and recently released dairy-free cheese balls. Last year, McGee\u2014who has been vegan since 2016\u2014partnered with Outstanding Foods on the #HellaHotChallenge, a spicy chip-eating competition that brought awareness to McGee\u2019s JUGLIFE organization, which is on a mission to bring healthy living through clean water to communities in need.\u00a0<\/p>\n NBA star Chris Paul is also a vocal supporter of vegan food and snacks and frequently works with various brands. Paul is part of a group of 14 athlete investors and ambassadors of Beyond Meat<\/a> and has worked with the brand ever since he went vegan in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n Koia<\/p>\n Paul is also an investor and supporter of plant-based nutrition brand Koia and is helping to get its shakes and smoothies into the hands of more people by setting up vending machines<\/a> on-campus at HBCUs he has relationships with. A pilot program of this initiative was launched in 2021 and a wide rollout is expected this year.\u00a0<\/p>\nNBA stars get into vegan snacks<\/h2>\n
![\"VegNews.KoiaChrisPaul\"](\"https:\/\/vegnews.com\/media\/28602\/VegNews.KoiaChrisPaul.jpg\")
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For more about vegan NBA stars, read: <\/strong>
<\/strong>NBA Star DeAndre Jordan Went Vegan \u201cCold Turkey\u201d To Save the Planet<\/em>
<\/em><\/a>Four-Time NBA Champ Urges \u201cSmart\u201d Athletes To Go Vegan<\/em>
<\/em><\/a>NBA Star Chris Paul Makes It Easier To Support Vegan Black-Owned Brands<\/em>
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