Infusing Function and Flavor into Fortified Gummies

Has the market for fortified gummies peaked?  Market research firm SPINS reports gummies’ sales declined 3.5% in 2023 after gains of 23% in 2022. The $2.63 billion market softened to $2.6 billion. 

But fortified gummies offering ingredients that align with shopper health and wellness goals continue to grow:

Functional ingredients losing some momentum in fortified gummies include:

So, how do formulators ensure their functional or fortified gummy is on the regular grocery list? Let’s explore trending flavors and functionalities to learn more.

What’s Driving Innovation in Fortified Gummies?

Innova’s global surveys in 2024 confirm more people are taking personal responsibility for their health, consulting various sources for health advice, and adopting strategies to improve their wellbeing.

Beyond turning to supplements to feel well,

FlavorSum’s proprietary study on functionality revealed that North Americans organize functional benefits into four main sub-groups and view VMS as a ‘go-to’ solution for specific goals:

Within North America, brands are increasingly focused on supplements to support immunity, brain, energy, digestive health, and skin health.

Sales of condition-specific gummy formulas outpaced the overall gummy VMS category (SPINS). Gummies with the most significant gains provided:

What are the Formulating Basics for Gummies?

A gummy formulation includes gelling agents, sweeteners, acidulants, colors, and flavors. The production process usually begins by adding a hydrated gelling agent, whether gelatin or a hydrocolloid like pectin, to a hot sugar slurry. Producers cook the mixture to an appropriate temperature or Brix, then add flavor, color, acidulants, and functional ingredients before depositing. They deposit the gummy mixture into molding equipment to set.

COMMON GELLING AGENTS IN GUMMIES

When starting any gummy project, begin by confirming your gelling agent of choice. The ‘base’ ingredient or ingredient blend gives the gummy a specific (and familiar) chew that drives the eating experience. Choosing your gelling system is essential because each option provides unique, non-duplicative textures.

SWEETENER SELECTIONS

After confirming your gelling system, your next step is identifying sweetener ingredients that will help achieve product claim goals such as ‘reduced sugar.’ According to Innova Market Insights, sugar content has a major influence on a third of shoppers, leading brands to offer sugar-reduced products across the entire food and beverage landscape. But a sugar reduction claim can be challenging in traditionally sweet products like gummies—the formulations are more complex, and working with sweeteners can prove challenging.

Your brand claims will point you toward a sweetness solution. But when selecting your sweetener, consider its impact on crystallization, moisture retention, and sweet taste delivery. Your sweetener will also affect the texture of your finished gummy. 

COMMON SUGARS AND SWEETENERS IN GUMMIES

Formulating with Functional Ingredients

Formulating a gummy with added nutritional ingredients generally follows a process similar to a traditional gummy confection. The primary difference is the addition of a functional component. Whether you’re adding a solid or oil-based functional ingredient, the gelling structure of the gummy will hold the materials together, eliminating the need for an emulsifier or stabilizing elements. Producers add the active ingredient to the original slurry and strive for a homogenous mix to ensure cohesion.

Although gummy confections and fortified gummies share basic formulation steps, functional ingredients can carry other implications such as:

Why is Flavor So Important for Nutritional Gummies?

The gummy format can bridge the gap between “tastes good” and “good for you.” Mintel reports that 35% of US confectionery users ate more candy in the past year due to the accessibility of health options. How can formulators deliver taste without compromising functionality? Flavor. Whether you’re striving to reduce (or remove) sugar or add functional ingredients, flavor plays a big role in taste delivery.

For shoppers, functionality decisions center on the support needed from the gummy, such as stress relief, sugar reduction, or joint health. For formulators, adding functional benefits to gummies is more complex. Sometimes delivering functionality means removing ingredients, such as sugar or animal-based products. Providing purpose in gummies can also mean adding ingredients like vitamins or minerals.

Each path toward functionality needs flavor ingredients to ensure a satisfying eating experience.

EXAMPLE #1: REMOVING SUGAR

Let’s use sugar as an example that illustrates removing ingredients. To deliver the expected sweetness in a gummy, formulators will leverage sweeteners to replace sugar. The challenge with sweeteners is that the taste experience (mouthfeel) is often different from sugar. Some solutions, such as some strands of stevia, carry an off note. By leveraging flavor modulation technology, formulators can flavor their sugar-reduced gummy while masking off-notes delivered by the sweetener solution.

EXAMPLE #2: ADDING CBD

Now let’s look at challenges when adding ingredients to a gummy formulation. CBD is gaining traction as an additive to foods and beverages. Like other functional ingredients such as vitamins and minerals, CBD has a distinct taste profile. The CBD notes come from terpenes, which some describe as ‘earthy.’ In a confectionery application, like a gummy, earthy notes may clash with consumer expectations. Flavor can play a dual role for formulators, adding taste while masking undesirable notes, either through specific flavor technology or by leveraging complimentary flavor profiles.

What are Trending Flavors for Functional Confectionery?

Innova reports the top ten flavors to consider for fortified gummies based on share of global supplement launches in the past 52 weeks include:

Although niche in the supplement category, the fastest-growing flavors that could fit with fortified gummies are:

Navigate the Functional Confections Landscape with FlavorSum!

Ensure your next gummy launch is successful by collaborating with our applications scientists, flavorists and insights experts. Whether you need support with managing unwanted ingredients or want to add functionality, we can help you deliver a delicious product that keeps people coming back for more. Contact our experts to kick off your innovation journey.