Gummies are chewable sweets cut into many small and unique shapes that come in vibrant colors, making them appealing to kids. However, many adults love gummies because of their meal-enhancing benefits. Since the 1980s, these yummy sweets have been around but have you ever thought of how manufacturers make these cool-shaped sweet confectionaries? If you’re curious to know more, this guide takes you through the gummy manufacturing process.
What are the main ingredients of gummies?
Making these nutritional supplements can take many forms and manufacturers can use different ingredients and raw materials depending on the competitive market and its demands. Some of the general ingredients include:
Gelatin: Edible gelatin is an important ingredient in every gummy candy manufacturing process and is derived after boiling animal tissues with horns and bones. The chemical process requires the right amount of gelatin and other ingredients to produce the gel-like thick solution. Additionally, the sweets need to be processed in the right conditions to exhibit the textural characteristics of gelatin gels.
Water: Water is essential to every manufacturing process but the PH of liquids used in the gummy manufacturing process is crucial. The water acts as a solvent in mixing all the gummy ingredients and also makes the candy softer.
Sweeteners: You’ll need various sugars to give your gummy bear candy a unique taste because gelatin is doorless and tasteless. Sourcing sugar from sugar cane or beets can be a good idea and using fructose with sucrose as the main sweetener can also suffice.
Corn syrup: Corn syrup retains the moisture in the gummy bear candy and can also increase the mixture’s volume and make it softer.
Critic Acid: Adding critic acid to your gummy bear ingredients preserves the candy and increases its shelf life.
Starch: Including starch in your ingredients increases the volume and can afford you more health benefits.
Flavors, colors, and additives: The addition of artificial flavors is highly dependent on the manufacturer’s method. Manufacturers have different flavor preferences based on their unique market needs. Some industry standard options include raspberry, orange, pineapple, strawberry, lemon, etc. The impact of these flavors influences the coloring of your gummy bear candy. For instance, raspberry can turn your gummy candy red. Strawberry flavor brings out the green. Lemon brings up the yellow color. You can also try natural flavor options if you intend to build a custom product. Manufacturers also include additives to help prevent microbial growth.
How are gummies manufactured?
The commercial gummy manufacturing process requires the use of several machine types. Aside from the gummy bear-making machine, you may need others like an additive blending system, candy cleaner, etc. Generally, the production can take four stages that include preparation, compounding, forming, and processing. The preparation stage begins with a thorough machine inspection to ensure all machines are in good condition. The manufacturers measure the right amount of each ingredient based on the production capacity. The ingredients are then placed in the product’s hopper and the gummy bear machine is configured to match your production needs.
The compounding stage begins with switching the machine on. The ingredients will move from the product’s hopper into the mixing and melting tank. The ingredients are mixed using a heating and cooling method, which may take a lot of time, usually about three hours, depending on the production size. At this stage, the quality control department is involved in product testing. The gummy forming stage cuts the quality-checked gummy candy mixture into various shapes. The starch rids the molten content of any excess moisture content to get that chewy gummy texture. The final processing stage sieves the cut-out gummy bears removing extra texture. You may include packaging and other preferred branding efforts at this stage.
Generally, gummy bear production may vary depending on a manufacturer’s preferences. For instance, producing gummies for a vegan market may require different ingredient alternatives. So, it’s essential to understand your consumption needs before kick-starting your gummy production process.
