The Ultimate Guide to Making Sugar-Free Gummy Bears

If you're looking to become a pro at making sugar-free gummy bears for commercial purposes, you've come to the right place. This guide has all the information you need to know about selecting ingredients for large-scale productions, mixing and processing them efficiently, industrial molding and setting procedures, storing them and extending their shelf life, and what to consider when picking the right manufacturing equipment.

Read on for a deep dive into creating starchless sugar-free gummy bears for your business.

What Is Sugar-Free Gummy Candy?

Sugar-free gummies are made without the traditional sweetener. Instead, they're made with other ingredients that give them sweetness. Using these ingredients helps make products that taste and feel like regular gummies, while also meeting the needs of people who have specific dietary rules about sugar.

What Are Sugar-Free Gummy Bears Made of?

Making sugar-free gummy bears requires choosing the right ingredients and mixing them correctly. The most important ingredients are:

Gelatin

Gelatin is a type of collagen that's been processed to break it down into smaller pieces. It usually comes from cows or pigs. It gives the gummy bear its shape and feel. To ensure your product is always high quality, you need to choose the right bloom strength and type of gelatin.

Sweeteners

Many sugar substitutes can be used. These include polyols like maltitol, erythritol, and xylitol, as well as high-intensity sweeteners like stevia or sucralose. Choosing the right substitutes and mixing them correctly is key. That way, you can get the sweetness and texture you want without unwanted aftertastes.

Water

Water helps the gelatin dissolve and form the gummy texture. Plus, you need to control the water accurately to get the right thickness and consistency.

Flavorings

We use natural and artificial flavors to give our products their unique tastes. At times, we use encapsulated flavors to keep the flavors stable and prevent them from getting lost during processing.

Food-Grade Colors and Dyes

Food colors are used to make products look nice, and they're certified safe. However, you've got to follow the rules about using them.

Sugar-Free Corn Syrup Alternatives

Some ingredients help keep moisture in the food and stop it from forming crystals. These same ingredients can also affect the texture of the food.

Acidulants

Acids and bases control pH, enhance flavor, and preserve food. Precise pH control is critical for gelatin setting and shelf life stability.

How to Make Sugar-Free Gummy Bears?

Step 1 - Mixing Raw Materials

First, you mix the pre-weighed ingredients in a controlled mixing tank. This tank heats, mixes, and cools the ingredients to create a uniform blend. You need precise ingredient ratios for quality, and the mixing process takes 2-3 hours. Then, you take samples for lab testing to make sure the mixture meets quality standards.

Step 2 - Molding Gummy Bears

After quality control checks the mixture, the process moves on to the molding stage. This stage involves carefully putting the viscous mixture into pre-made molds.

For starch molding, we typically use a high-speed depositing system or a Mogul machine. These systems make sure you can control how much of the mixture you put in and make sure the gummies have the same shape every time.

In starch molding, food-grade starch is used as a molding medium. It prevents adhesion, supports the forming gummies during setting, and regulates moisture content for optimal texture.

The molding equipment features interchangeable trays with various cavity shapes, allowing for diverse product forms.The depositing process is carefully controlled to maintain consistent weight and shape, ensuring uniformity across the entire production run.

Step 3 - Cooling Gummy Candies

After the molding stage, the sugar-free gummy bears undergo a cooling process. This crucial step ensures the gummies maintain their desired shape and texture. The molded trays are moved to a climate-controlled cooling tunnel, where temperature and humidity are precisely managed.

It might take 24 to 26 hours to cool, but it could be less depending on the specific recipe and cooling system. You've got to keep an eye on the temperature to make sure it sets right and stays consistent.

Step 4 - Coating Gummy Bears

The coating process usually involves applying a food-grade oil or a polishing agent. It is mainly to remove any remaining starch from the gummy surfaces. This makes the product look better and prevents it from clumping. Also, the coating creates a barrier against moisture. This way, the product can last longer and remain soft.

Step 5 - Drying Gummy Candies

The coated gummies are dried in a climate-controlled environment for about 72 hours to reduce moisture content and achieve chewy texture. Precise control of temperature, humidity, and airflow is vital for good results and extended shelf life. During the drying process, we rotate gummy bears. This can ensure uniform moisture removal and prevent product defects.

Step 6 - Packing the Final Products

The last step is packaging. Sugar-free gummy bears are correctly portioned and sealed into various formats, like bags, pouches, and rigid containers. To maximize shelf life, packages are nitrogen-flushed or vacuum-sealed. This will minimize oxygen and moisture exposure.

We pick packaging materials based on how well they keep things fresh and intact. And our packaging design is super important. It's got to be eye-catching, with clear labels that follow all the rules about listing ingredients and nutrition facts.

Once the products are packaged, they move to storage areas that keep them at just the right temperature and humidity levels. That way, they stay top-notch until they're ready to be shipped out.

Step 7 - Storing Sugar-Free Gummy Bears

Right storage is key to keeping your sugar-free gummy bears fresh. Store them in a cool, dry environment – a climate-controlled warehouse is ideal. Implement a first-in, first-out system to ensure product rotation. When stored correctly, your gummy candies should maintain their quality for approximately 6 to 12 months. It usually depends on the specific formulation and packaging used.

What Problems You May Face in Producing Sugar-Free Gummy Bears?

Making high-quality sugar-free gummy bears on a large scale is hard. Here are some common problems you might encounter:

• The stages of starch molding and drying can be dangerous. There is a risk of dust explosions. So, you must use spark-proof electrical parts and ways to contain blasts.
• Drying can sometimes lead to texture inconsistencies and a shorter shelf life. That's why you need to keep a close eye on the temperature, humidity, and airflow.
• People's tastes are always changing. This means that sugar-free candy needs to have new and tasty flavors. Gummy producers have to come up with new ways to make candy that tastes good without using sugar.
• Sugar-free gummies are often different from regular gummies. Making a product that has a good texture and lasts a long time on the shelf is hard.
• Manufacturers can have cost and availability Issues. Some ingredients and sugar substitutes are more expensive or harder to find than others.

What Are Common Sugar Free Gummy Bears Manufacturing Equipment?

In addition to the main gummy bear production line, we need various pieces of supporting equipment. Below we list the most common devices needed for sugar-free gummy production.

Continuous Cooker

These units heat and blend the ingredient slurry. They ensure uniform temperature and viscosity. Continuous cookers offer high throughput and precise temperature control.

Automatic Weighing and Dosing Systems

Automatic systems ensure accurate dosing and minimize material waste. These systems can also integrate with vacuum transfer systems for efficient material handling.

Ingerdient Blenders

These blenders allow for the precise addition of flavors, colors, and other additives. This ensures uniform distribution throughout the batch.

Starch Molding Machines

These machines create the molds in starch beds, into which the gummy mixture is deposited. They offer high-volume production and precise mold formation.

Gummy Depositing Machine

This machine deposits the gummy mixture into the molds. And it ensures consistent weight and shape. They can be integrated with starch molding machines or used with silicone molds.

Gummy Polishing Device

This device removes residual starch and debris from the gummy surfaces. It may incorporate air blowers, brushes, and polishing drums.

Coating Systems

These units apply a thin layer of food-grade oil or other coating agents to the gummies. It prevents sticking and enhances gloss.

If you want to make more sugar-free gummy bears, you need the right equipment. We can provide you with the best gummy making equipment. For more information, please contact us today.