GUMMY PRODUCTION AND INNOVATION
also addressing demand for vegan and vegetarian formats. Rather than requiring manufacturers to adopt an entirely new production approach, the prototype was designed to work with standard cook-and-deposit gummy manufacturing. That scalability is significant as functional confectionery moves beyond niche applications: manufacturers need formulations that can deliver new nutritional propositions without creating an entirely new production infrastructure. Getting the formulation right, however,
required considerably more than simply removing sucrose. Cargill developed a polyol system combining maltitol, isomalt and xylitol to balance sweetness, structure and shelf-life performance, while addressing some of the problems that can arise in sugar-free gummies, including surface crystallisation, excessive stickiness and clumping during storage. Removing sugar also removes part of
the structural framework of the gummy. To compensate, the formulation required an increased level of pectin to restore gel strength and maintain the texture expected from a premium product. Sensory development presented another
hurdle. EpiCor® brings its own distinctive flavour characteristics, requiring careful balancing with natural blackcurrant flavour to create a finished profile that remained enjoyable rather than medicinal. That distinction is becoming increasingly
important as the functional confectionery category matures. It is no longer enough for a product to contain a recognised functional ingredient; it needs to make sense as a piece of confectionery too. Consumers are becoming more selective about ingredients, more conscious of sugar and more familiar with the language of wellness, raising expectations across taste, texture, functionality and transparency simultaneously. “Consumers are not looking for products
that feel medicinal,” Meggiloaro says. “They want products that fit naturally into their lifestyles while delivering experiences they enjoy and benefits they value.” The result is a category in which
formulation science and consumer insight are becoming inseparable. Plant-based gelling systems, sugar-reduction strategies, functional ingredients and new processing technologies are all contributing to the development of gummies that can meet a more sophisticated set of expectations.
That is also opening the door to a wider PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF
WELLNESS PRODUCTS THAT ASK THEM TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ‘GOOD FOR YOU’ AND ‘GOOD TASTING’ — DAVID RANDALL, SPACEGOODS
rethink of how gummies are manufactured. If active ingredients can create challenges around taste, texture and processing, and if removing sugar can alter the fundamental structure of the product, manufacturers are increasingly looking beyond individual ingredients towards the production process itself. Developments in starch-free moulding, rapid demoulding and automated production are beginning to address some of those challenges from the manufacturing side. The opportunity is therefore extending
well beyond the traditional supplement market. As functional gummies move
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