Fast growing health-conscious consumer base who seeks healthy, plant-based gummies

Consumers striving for well-being seek gummy vitamins as a delicious option for adding nutrients to their daily diet. They are opting for yummy gummies to reduce pill fatigue and to support their active, on-the-go lifestyles. Today, gummies aren’t just for kids. In fact, adults are responsible for a surge in popularity of this dosage form, accounting for 80% of the market in recent years.

Plant-based gummies allow label claims addressing the needs of a fast-growing growing number of vegans and vegetarians but also those who are flexitarians or simply want to reduce their consumption of animal-derived products due to ethical concerns related to the use of animal-derived ingredients.  Consumers commonly perceive plant-based supplements as being safer and healthier than animal-based alternatives.
 

Plant-based gummies deliver many benefits

Plant-based gummies provide an excellent sensory experience to consumers. Pectin, for example, allows firm gummies with a rapid flavor release second to none. Pectin enjoys superior consumer perception and enables gummies that show little chewiness or elasticity, and soft, tender mouthfeel. Another example are seaweed extracts like carrageenan that yield in gummies with a firm texture and clean bite and that feature rapid set time, a flexible pH range to work with and.

Pectin and seaweed extracts are very effective in gummies and can be used at very low concentrations of below 3% allowing more room for other ingredients.

Plant-based gummies allow a broad range of label claim options addressing consumers’ evolving preferences such as vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO, use in supplements with organic labeling. Hydrocolloids like pectin and carrageenan allow gummies that show excellent temperature stability, ensuring gummies won’t melt together, stick to the inside of the bottle or arrive as a big clump at the consumer.
 

Plant-based gummy solutions from IFF

Consumers who may have grown up eating gelatin-based gummy bears, fruit snacks and marshmallows, are looking for this familiar mouthfeel, taste and texture in their supplements. Switching from gelatin to animal-free alternatives can be intimidating since that well-known texture and taste is harder to achieve with pectin and carrageenan.

But with the right ingredients and a little help from an expert in hydrocolloids, processing and sensory experience, those challenges can be addressed. Our team of experts will guide you through every step of the process to ensure your gummy supplements deliver a positive consumer experience with every taste. We help you identifying the best ingredients to create supplements with a superior sensory experience, processing and delivery.

Connect with our team of experts to learn how to successfully develop and produce tasty plant-based gummies, reduce their sugar content to develop a healthy gummy supplement. Contact us for sample formulations now.
 

Are you not ready to go full plant-based?

Sometimes, blends of different hydrocolloids are used to tailor the texture of the gummy or to improve its thermal stability. For instance, the addition of a small portion of pectin can yield in gummies with a shorter and firmer texture than gelatin alone. It also helps to increases the melting point of gelatin.

Product Recommendations:

Both GRINDSTED® Pectin Premium and Gelcarin® provide a range of label claim options such as kosher, halal, clean-label, non-GMO and they may be used in supplements with organic labeling. Contact us to discuss which label options apply for your specific case.

*Examples only and not representative of a complete list of products. Regional regulations may restrict the use of certain products in dietary supplements. Please contact us for further information.

References

Krawiec, Sebastian. Who's Driving the Gummy Supplement Market? Hint: It's Not Kids. 2018, www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/whos-driving-gummy-supplement-market-hint-its-not-kids.

Kuper, Arthur, et al. How Many Vegans in The World? In the USA? (2020). 8 May 2020, veganbits.com/vegan-demographics/.