Gummies


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Gelatine jelly confectionery can be defined as a highly concentrated mixed sugar mass that has been formed into a gel by the addition of gelatine. The gel is mainly composed of saccharose, glucose syrup, other types of sugar (i.e. invert sugar, dextrose), gelatine, acid, flavor and color.


Production of gelatine jelly confectionery involves:

  • Dissolution of the gelatine
  • Concentration of the different sugars
  • Mixing of gelatine solution into the sugar solution
  • Deaeration of the mass, addition of color, flavor, acid
  • Depositing into molding starch

Soft jellies may contain from 6 to 9 % gelatine of various grades from 150 to 275 Bloom, usually type A (Acid processed gelatine). Gelatine type A is used in these applications because of its low viscosity and suitable isoelectric point.

 

Soft jellies can be removed from the starch after one night and are then treated by various methods to prevent them from sticking together.

The texture of the finished product is rather elastic. The best known example is the gummy bear. A typical formula for such a type of product contains (for 100 Kg of finished product) 7-8 kg of gelatine 250 bloom type A dissolved in 14-16 l of water; 37 kg of saccharose; 45 kg of glucose syrup; acid; color and flavor.

Total soluble solids at depositing is +/- 78° Brix. End total soluble solids varies from 81 to 83° Brix.

An increasing number of these products are manufactured by a continuous pressure vaccum cooking manufacturing processes. In this case, the gelatine solution is added to the sugars and glucose syrup before cooking. The cooking time is short enough not to destroy gelatine.

Different textures, characteristics of hardness, elasticity, firmness and cohesiveness can be obtained by:

 

  • Varying the gelatine content: the higher the gelatine content, the chewier the product
  • Replacing one gelatine by another grade with different gel strength:
    • For the same firmness in the finished product, high bloom gelatine gives less chewy products
    • The higher the gel strength, the more elastic the finished product


Gelatine can be combined with other stabilizers or gelling agents, to obtain particular texture characteristics:

 

  • Gelatine + agar or pectin: brittle or short texture
  • Gelatine + modified starch: less elastic texture (wine gums, liquorice, hard, sticky to the teeth)
  • Gelatine + Arabic gum: hard, compact texture


Problems during production and storage of gelatine jelly confectionery can be caused by a number of factors.