Food Marketing & Technology 1/2022

Ingredients
Creating Classic Confectionery with
Gelatin
Gelatin is a versatile hydrocolloid that
provides various functional benefits to
confectionery manufacturers
Gelatin, derived from the Latin term
gelatus – meaning stiff or frozen – has
a long and successful history as a
multifunctional ingredient. Today,
it’s one of the most important
hydrocolloids for food and beverage
products. And even though gelatin
is usually associated with the
characteristic texture, form and bite
of gummy bears, this highly purified
collagen protein can be applied
to many other applications. As a
texturizer, gelatin acts as an excellent
gelling, binding and whipping agent,
stabilizer and emulsifier, and as a
perfect film and foam former. It can
also be used as a fat replacer and to
improve the nutritional properties of
various foodstuffs.
Unlike its carbohydrate-based hydrocolloid
counterparts, gelatin is a natural
and easily digested protein. Being nonallergenic
and free from E-numbers,
it’s clean label, it’s compatible with
most food and functional ingredients
and can be formulated with other
hydrocolloids to produce different
textures or improve thermal resistance.
The multipurpose hydrocolloid
In its natural state, gelatin is a dry,
white powder that is free from fat,
cholesterol, purines and additives. It
comprises 86–90% protein and 8–15%
water. In water, gelatine swells rapidly
and, after heating, dissolves to form
a clear, viscous solution, followed by
gelation after cooling.
As a flexible ingredient, it’s easy to
incorporate gelatin into a wide variety
of production processes. However,
the critical issue is choosing the most
appropriate gelatin for each product
and application. When choosing
confectionery products, for example,
consumers are predominantly looking
for a treat. As such, taste and texture
are key. It’s also crucial to understand
the specific preferences of the target
market. Some countries generally
prefer firmer textures than others, and
the range of shapes, flavors, colors or
other critical determinants is almost
limitless. Thus, to create a suitable and
market-driven product concept, the
corresponding formulation needs to
be based on solid industry experience.
Getting gummies right
A traditional gummy candy is
characterized by its texture, its
gum-like “bite,” mouthfeel, taste and
color, as well as its clear and shiny
appearance. To achieve these product
properties, gelatin is mandatory.
Although other gelling agents are
available, none of them is as effective
as gelatin, which plays a key role in
When choosing confectionery products, consumers look out for great taste and mouth-watering
textures. Copyright: ©dusk_AdobeStock_172081133
both the production process and
the quality of the end product. So,
whereas the fundamentals of gummy
candy formulation are relatively
straightforward, multiple factors need
to be considered when producing a
high-standard gummy product that
meets both consumer – and producer
– demands.
One important parameter is the
“Bloom value,” which indicates the
gelatin’s gelling properties and the gel
strength. For gummy candies, gelatin
with a Bloom value of 160–280g Bloom
must be used to achieve the desired
bite, texture and mouthfeel. In addition,
some ingredient interactions and/
or production-induced artefacts or
effects can be remedied by choosing
the right type of gelatin.
To unfold the functionality of gelatin,
its complete dissolution is necessary.
Therefore two parts of water and one
part of gelatin are needed. Due to this
low water content less water needs to
evaporate during processing and, as
such, production times are shorter.
In addition, gelatin requires lower
dissolution temperatures than other
hydrocolloids and when it comes to the
end product only gelatin provides that
unique melt in your mouth experience,
typical elastic texture and brilliant clarity.
“Manufacturing issues like recrystallization
can occur when the sucrose
content is too high or not dissolved in
enough water. This adversely affects
the product’s characteristic clear and
glossy look. Moreover, ingredients
such as fructose can influence the
color and lead to a yellowing of the
product. Deformations, cloudiness and
undesired textures may be the result
of incorrect production and recipe
parameters. This is why our experts
offer all the advice needed to get it
right,” explains Dr Johanna Schmidgall,
Global Head of Application Technology
and New Product Development
Nutrition and Health Ingredients from
GELITA.
food Marketing & Technology • February 2022
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