An Ai Group masterclass on innovative gummy products brought together confectionery and health supplement market leaders in Melbourne.
The hands-on workshop, led by global gelatin and collagen producer GELITA, gave participants the chance to perfect gummy-making techniques and explore innovative methods for enriching gummies with active ingredients for the nutraceuticals market.
“It was a unique opportunity for confectionery professionals, food technologists and entrepreneurs to delve into the art and science of crafting delicious and chewy gummies using new fast-setting gelatin for innovative starch-free gummy production technology,” Jennifer Thompson, Ai Group’s Technical & Regulatory Manager Confectionery, said.
“Food technologists and confectionery experts were there to expand their skill set while nutraceutical and pharmaceutical professionals wanted to understand techniques to create nutraceutical-style gummies."
Representatives from a range of confectionery and health supplement market leaders including Allseps, Ferndale Foods Australia, Haigh’s Chocolates, Menz, Blackmores and H&H Group - Swisse were taken through the complete gummy-making process, from ingredient selection to final product.
Over two days at the Monash Food Innovation centre, they received step-by-step guidance from GELITA experts who flew in from Germany and Queensland.
Participants learned how to prepare fast-setting, gelatin gummy bases and experimented with recipes and ingredients to create unique formulations including those with vitamins, minerals and oil-based actives for specific health benefits.
Working in small groups with laboratory-scale equipment allowed them to refine consistency, flavours and finishes.
GELITA’s Natalie Leuwer, Category Manager – Food Specialties, said the workshop addressed two trends: consumers’ desire for better-for-you confectionery and more enjoyable ways to take daily supplements.
“The health and food spaces are moving closer together, which is a great opportunity for producers to tap into white spaces and for us at GELITA to innovate and help the industry to meet the demands of the consumer,” Ms Leuwer said.
Her colleague from Germany, Johanna Schmidgall, Global Head for Application Technology and Product Development, noted rising interest in gummies as a health supplement.
“This aligns with the growing trend for better-for-you confectionery and the demand of consumers to take their daily supplements in an easier and more pleasant form,” Dr Schmidgall said.
“To achieve this, there are some hurdles to overcome from a technological view.
“We worked on a couple of solutions to help participants experiment in line with the market demand.”
GELITA Australia’s Helly Senjaliya, responsible for technical service, said the participant mix of the masterclass contributed to a rich learning experience.
“The workshop gave the confectionery experts a fresh perspective as they were given new ingredients and technology to work with to explore how traditional gummies are being used as health supplements,” Ms Senjaliya said.
“We also had a flavour specialist who shared tips on masking strong or unpleasant APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients).
“At the other end of the learning spectrum, we had participants for whom this was their first introduction to making a basic gummy formulation.
“It was a two-way learning process. GELITA learned a lot from the participants, and they learned a lot from us. There were a lot of questions and feedback; it was a very successful workshop.”
The energy, enthusiasm and excitement was terrific, Ms Thompson added.
“The networking, the science and the education that GELITA brought to the table were all fantastic,” she said.
“GELITA has tremendous depth and experience in Australia, and it was a privilege to have Johanna and Natalie visit from Germany to share their knowledge with Ai Group and the masterclass participants.”
The Ai Group Confectionery Sector delivers confectionery advocacy, news and information and assistance with technical confectionery matters.
It also offers technical and regulatory support, including assistance with labelling compliance and can help you expand your networks via events like ConTech, the confectionery industry's premier event, held annually in Melbourne.
Contact Jennifer Thompson for further information on the Ai Group Confectionery Sector.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at the Australian Industry Group. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter, features writer, contributor and sub-editor for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK.
