The fortified gummy market is booming, driven by a growing consumer demand for convenient and delicious ways to consume vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting ingredients. However, this rapid growth has exposed significant challenges in the traditional production methods. Manufacturers have often had to compromise on efficiency, taste, or safety.
GELITA's new product, CONFIXX®, is putting an end to these compromises, revolutionizing the industry by offering an innovative solution to longstanding challenges.
The Traditional Approach and Its Dilemmas
Gelatin-based gummies have traditionally been made using starch-based molds. This process involves depositing and drying the gummies in starch, which is then reused. While effective for standard gummies, this method presents major drawbacks when introducing fortified ingredients:
- Cross-Contamination Risk: Starch is reused across batches, leading to a high risk of cross-contamination when adding fortifying ingredients. This can compromise the purity of subsequent batches, raising safety concerns and regulatory issues.
- Efficiency Versus Safety: To mitigate cross-contamination, manufacturers often replace the starch after each batch, leading to significant waste and increased production costs. This dilemma often forces manufacturers to choose between safety and efficiency.
- Balancing Productivity with Consumer Appeal: Standard gelatin takes time to set, leading to less flexibility when it comes to production time and scalability. Alternative gelling agents like pectin or carrageen are available, but they don’t deliver the sensorial properties consumers expect from their gummies. Manufacturers hence must balance the need for efficiency with maintaining consumer appeal.
The Starchless Revolution: A Game-Changer
To address these challenges, many manufacturers have turned to starchless machinery. In this process, the gummy solution, based on gelatin, is cooked to the desired dry substance and cast into reusable plastic or silicone molds. These molds can be cleaned, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
However, even with this innovation, many manufacturers found themselves compromising on production efficiency or product quality. This is where CONFIXX® comes in.
CONFIXX®: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
CONFIXX® is a revolutionary product from GELITA, designed to address the core challenges of fortified gummy production. According to one of GELITA's leading experts, Dr. Johanna Schmidgall, Global Head of Application Development, CONFIXX® was developed to solve the dilemma caused by starchless machinery:
"Gelatin gummies traditionally are deposited and dried in starch based forms. The starch is continuously reused in the process. If you are adding fortifying ingredients, you have a high risk of cross-contamination with following production changes. As a result, you either waste a lot of starch by replacing it completely after each batch or you use other more efficient ways of making fortified gummies.”
CONFIXX® Changes the Game by Combining the Best of Both Worlds:
- High Dosing Accuracy: CONFIXX® allows for precise dosing, even with heat-sensitive ingredients. This feature is crucial for maintaining product consistency and meeting regulatory requirements.
- Reduced Risk of Cross-Contamination: The starch-free process significantly reduces the risk of cross-contamination, allowing for safer and more efficient production of fortified gummies.
- Flexible Production: CONFIXX®'s fast-setting properties at low temperatures make it ideal for small batch production, enabling manufacturers to innovate and bring products to market quickly.
The Future: Innovation and Beyond
The introduction of CONFIXX® signals a new era in fortified gummy production. Manufacturers can now produce gummies with a wide range of fortifying ingredients without compromising on safety, efficiency, or taste. This flexibility opens the door to more innovative formulations and customized products, catering to evolving consumer demands.
As the industry moves forward, we can expect to see more diverse gummies on the market, including those with CBD oil, probiotics, melatonin, and other heat-sensitive ingredients. With products like CONFIXX®, manufacturers have the tools to keep pace with consumer trends while ensuring safety and quality.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, GELITA’s technical support and expertise play a crucial role in guiding manufacturers through the development process. As the demand for fortified gummies continues to grow, GELITA’s CONFIXX® is poised to lead the way, offering a solution that combines innovation, safety, and efficiency.
The future of fortified gummies is bright, and with CONFIXX®, it's about to get even brighter.
Ready to explore what's possible with CONFIXX®?
Our expert team is ready to answer your questions and help you on the pathway towards the development of next generation gummy supplements.
