Skittles are small round fruit chews that come in hard sugar shells with the letter "s" printed on them, representing the candy's name. This "s" insignia was printed in a very dark shade of purple (almost appearing black) from 1974 until 1988. Starting in 1989, the "s" insignia was changed to white. Modern Skittles with the white "s" insignia are similar in outward appearance to plain chocolate M&M's, which are produced by Masterfoods, a division of Mars, Incorporated. The inside is a white granulate and consists mainly of sugar, and a small amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil, fruit juice, citric acid and natural and artificial flavors.Skittles Bite Size candies, originally made by a company in England, were first introduced in the United States in 1974. Around 1981-1982, the production of Skittles began in the United States. Skittles sold in the United Kingdom are made in the Czech Republic, where Mars Incorporated makes them for export to many European Union markets. The company also produces the product in Victoria, Australia, for distribution in the New Zealand market.Skittles are not vegetarian in the USA as they contain gelatin, as opposed to the British recipe which does not. However, they are still not suitable for vegans as they contain shellac. In the mid 2000s, Skittles in the USA began using palm kernel oil in the recipe, increasing shelf life as well as fat content.Skittles are also not certified as being Halaal by any certifying authority and should be avoided by Muslims. It appears that Skittles are NOT Kosher certified in North America, and now also NOT Kosher in the UK either, as the London Beth Din published in November 2007 on their alerts page that "Skittles previously approved and parev are now Not Kosher" . Recently in Canada there have been some packages of Skittles that were mistakenly labeled as Kosher, but are not. .