Webinar preview: Bartek Ingredients’ solutions for optimal vegan gummy formulation

23 Oct 2023 --- There is a growing consumer demand for vegan vitamin, mineral and supplement (VMS) gummies as the market for plant-based alternatives expands. However, as active ingredients affect pH levels and gelling, they pose unique formulation challenges for manufacturers. Bartek Ingredients underscores the importance of combining the right formula, process and equipment to create pectin gummies. 

Nutrition Insight sits down with Alejandro J Perez-Gonzalez, technical business development manager at Bartek Ingredients, and Marius Mickevicius, process engineer for Baker Perkins, before next week’s webinar: Achieving the perfect vegan supplement gummies: Reduce misshapen and scrapped product. 

“Vegan VMS gummies that use pectin rather than gelatin are becoming more popular, but they can pose unique formulation challenges for manufacturers.” 

“Unlike gelatin, which can be re-melted and remains stable at a wider range of temperatures and pH levels, pectin is workable only under precise parameters. Pectin will set between pH 3.2 and 3.6, with a narrow ideal pH range of 3.4 to 3.52.” 

Importance of pH levels 
Perez-Gonzalez underscores that pH is one of the significant variables that impact the gelling properties of pectin. 

“As a result, pH must be continually monitored and constantly adjusted. Otherwise, pectin could pre-gel or fail to set, creating a range of challenges such as lost capacity, higher scrap rates, higher costs, and more overall complexity in developing and manufacturing these products.” 

He continues that the traditional solution to alleviate changes in pH has been using a buffering agent, such as sodium citrate. However, the slightest variations in sodium citrate itself can significantly impact the pH in the solution, which often leads to either pre-gelling or no setting at all. 

“Even the slightest error in pH can lead to disposal of an entire batch of vegan VMS gummies, which can be very costly when working with vitamins, minerals and other active ingredients.”

Bartek Ingredients will examine solutions for vegan pectin gummies in the upcoming webinar.Formulation solutions 
During next week’s webinar, Bartek will discuss how to increase the pH-stability and workability range for less R&D guesswork. Moreover, the company will highlight how to optimize gelling and manage depositing open times to reduce product loss and improve efficiency. 

“Pecmate and Pecmate K pectin enhancers are Bartek’s latest innovations to help vegan VMS gummy brands achieve an expanded workable pH range for better consistency, less product loss and less production downtime,” details Perez-Gonzalez. 

“Pecmate has been shown in lab and pilot plant tests, as well as multiple industrial trials, to be more effective than sodium citrate at reducing pH variability, resulting in better consistency with less scrap in production.” 

Earlier this year, Bartek Ingredients showcased its Uplift Taste Modification Technology, which helps gummy manufacturers create authentic fruit flavor and sour profiles, enhance juicy, tart notes and extend these throughout chew time. 

Choosing the right equipment 
In addition to addressing formulation challenges, the webinar will examine choosing the right depositing equipment for precise, efficient production, even on high-speed lines. Moreover, the speakers will address minimizing production variability for superior finished products. 

“Equipment selection can significantly impact processing efficiency and appearance of finished gummies,” explains Mickevicius. “If cooked syrup isn’t the optimal viscosity, gummies could have ‘tails,’ and if the gummies don’t set quickly and firmly into their molds, they could stick.” 

He notes that the ideal depositing system for low-output lines producing pectin gummies with Pecmate and active compounds will be able to combine multiple components into a single gummy in a range of patterns and use reusable molds. 

“Manufacturers should also use starch-free equipment for nutraceutical gummies because it is hygienic and the gummies are deposited at final solids, so there is no need for drying.” 

Mickevicius asserts that the right equipment will deliver consistent and accurate depositing of gummies, “So, the manufacturer has precise control of the shape and weight of each gummy, which will result in a product that can be finished or packaged right after demolding,” he concludes.

By Jolanda van Hal