Many times, we find that the gummies that we buy are damp and sticky. Why does this happen?
First of all, we have to make it clear that sticky gummies are not necessarily a quality problem of gummies. There are many reasons for gummies to be sticky. Let’s summarize several reasons for gummies to be sticky.
1. Reasons for gummy stickiness
(1) Ingredients of gummies
Making different gummies requires adding different ingredients, and some unique ingredients can cause gummies to become sticky.
- Citric acid
Citric acid is one thing that makes gummy sticky and soggy. Citric acid is a water-soluble ingredient that draws moisture away from gummies, causing them to melt. So, gummy with added citric acid tends to get sticky.
- Sugar
Sugar is also a major cause of gummy stickiness. Gummies with a high sugar content tend to become sticky, which is not an issue with the quality of the gummy.
Factors such as high humectant levels, low polishing levels, gelatin degradation, and insufficient drying can also contribute to gummy stickiness issues.
(2) Storage conditions
The gummy you just bought is sticky, and that’s probably because of the ingredients in the gummy. If the gummies you just bought are not sticky, but they become sticky after a while, it is the storage condition.
- Shelf life
Generally, the shelf life of gummies is 18-24 months, and the gummies within the shelf life will not appear sticky and wet, but if the shelf life is exceeded, no matter whether your gummies are sticky or not, we recommend you not to eat them.
- Temperature and light
The gummy should be stored in a cool dry place. If you leave them in a storage area that’s too hot or too humid, the gummy may soften and become stickier over time.
To sum up, gummy stickiness is not necessarily a quality issue. So how do we customize high-quality gummies? Below we summarize all the problems that come up with custom gummies.
2. How to prevent gummy from sticking
(1) Pay attention to screening materials.
At present, many functional gummies are added with ingredients extracted from natural animals and plants. The gummies must have colloid coagulation before they can be formed. Once the added extracts are not suitable, the gummies will not be formed. At the same time, the compression will cause structural damage to the colloid, resulting in a sticky or even wet condition on the surface of the finished gummy. Therefore, not all ingredients are suitable for gummies, and not all ingredients can be added.
- Natural animal and plant pigments
Natural animal and plant pigments are not resistant to high temperatures, and most of their components are oil-melting properties that cannot be dissolved in the material body. Insufficient and uneven dissolution will produce agglomerated materials and cause the pouring port to block. And its coloring degree is not as bright and stable as artificial food pigments; natural animal and plant pigments are generally dull in color, while artificial pigments are bright and changeable, which can meet people’s visual needs.
- Natural flavor
Natural flavors are lighter than artificial flavors.
- Gelatin
Unlike gelatin, pectin has elasticity and toughness, is easily deformed under heavy pressure, and cannot be restored to its original state.
(2) Rigorous craftsmanship
It can be considered from the following process requirements: (1) time; (2) PH value; (3) soluble solids. These three are interconnected, and the balance must be controlled during processing.
- Time and PH
PH value is a very important factor. When boiling the gummy, the pH value must be lower than 5.0 to prevent caramelization of sugar and degradation of pectin, but the PH value must be higher than 3.6 to prevent the excessive conversion of sugar. To achieve this, the safest way is to use a buffer (sodium citrate), but it should be noted that the acid must be added to the solution. If you’re a pectin gummy, it needs to be very high acidity and solids to gel. Therefore, the addition of alkali or salts and other ingredients will affect the formation of pectin gel structure, and phenomena such as water separation will occur during the later storage of the gummy.
- PH value and soluble solids
Soluble solids are closely related to PH, both of which are decisive factors for the coagulation of sugar bodies. Generally, the solid content is about 78% when pouring the model, and the PH between 3.2 and 3.6 is the most ideal pouring model condition. The setting of sugar depends on the proper balance of solids and PH. Within a certain range, the reduction in solids may be compensated for by a reduction in PH. The reverse is also true.
(3) Choose another form
Due to the particularity of the ingredients added to the gummies, many gummies will hinder the sales and consumption of customers (bitter, astringent, strange taste, sticky). If the customer has strict requirements on the dosage and taste, and the gummy cannot meet the customer’s requirements, it can be considered as a tablet or capsule.
