Gummy Candy

Manufacturing Process
 Background
• Gummy candy is unique candy composed of gelatin, sweeteners ,
flavorings, and colorings. Because of its nature it can be molded into
thousands of shapes, making it one of the most versatile confection
products ever. First develop in Germany in the early 1900s, it gained great
popularity in the US during 1980s. Today it continues to be popular, with
sales totally over $ 135million in the US.
 History
• Gummy candy represents a more recent advance in candy technology. The technology, derived from
early pectin and starch formulations, was first developed in Germany in the early l900s by a man
named Hans Riegel. He began the Haribo company, which made the first gummy bears in the 1920s.
While gummy candy has been manufactured since this time, it had limited worldwide distribution until
the early 1980s. It was then when Haribo began manufacturing gummy bears in the United States. The
fad caught on, causing other companies to develop similar products. The gummy bears led to other
types of gummy candy entries from companies such as Hershey, Brach's, and Farley's. Now, the candy
is available in various different forms, from dinosaurs to fruit rolls. According to one gelatin
manufacturer, nearly half of all gelatin made worldwide currently goes to making gummy candies.
 Raw Materials
Texture Sweeteners

Gelatin Corn Syrup

 Flavors

Maple Sugar
Berries
Honey
 Manufacturing Process

A starch molding process is a common way by which gummy candy is manufactured in an

industrial setting. In this process, the candy is first made and then loaded into starched lined
trays. These trays are then cooled overnight. Candies formed after cooling are removed
from the trays and packaged. Now, let’s look more closely into the steps involved in the
industrial production of gummy candy.
Compounding

The manufacture of gummy candy starts with pharmaceutical compounding.

Professional factory workers, called compounders, physically pour the correct
amount of gummy raw materials into the main mixing container based on the given
set of instructions for the candies. Mixing containers are large tanks equipped with
heating and cooling capabilities. The compounding step is usually completed in an
hour or two, depending on the type of the gummy candy. Upon completion of the
compounding process, the batch is sent to QC (quality control) labs to ensure that
the candies meet the requisite specifications.
Cooling and Packing

Cooled trays of gummy candy are inverted in the starch buck. This candy is ready
for packaging. The trays are then filled with starch to keep the candy from sticking
and sent to the printer table, which imprints a pattern into the starch. The depositor
fills the trays with the hot candy mixture, and the trays are sent back to the stacker
to cool for 24 hours. Then the machine can start the process again.
Quality Control
Quality control begins with the evaluation of the incoming raw materials. Before they are used,
these ingredients are tested in the QC lab to ensure they conform to specifications. Various
sensory characteristics are checked, including appearance, color, odor, and flavor. Many other
characteristics, such as the particle size of the solids, viscosity of oils, and pH of liquids, are also
studied. Each manufacturer depends on these tests to certify that the ingredients will produce a
consistent, quality batch of gummy candy.
The characteristics of each batch of final product is also carefully monitored. Quality control
chemists and technicians check physical aspects of the candy that include appearance, flavor,
texture, and odor. The usual method of testing is to compare them to an established standard. For
example, the color of a random sample is compared to a standard set during product
development. Other qualities such as taste, texture, and odor are evaluated by sensory panels.
These are made up of a group of people who are specially trained to notice small differences. In
addition to sensory tests, many instrumental tests that have been developed by the industry over
the years are also used to complement tests performed by humans.
THE END