Kiran Grewal explores how neutraceutical products are rising in OTC candy, how functional ingredient blends benefit production and how AI is providing solutions for formulation challenges.
Consumers have never been more health-conscious than they are today, and in response the functional food and beverage market has developed to provide products that go beyond basic nutrition. Whether it’s incorporating essential vitamins, probiotics, or plant-based proteins, brands are increasingly turning to functional ingredients to offer health benefits in convenient, enjoyable formats.
One of the fastest-growing areas within this space is the rise of confectionery as a vehicle for nutraceuticals and over-the-counter (OTC) products. Gummies, in particular, have become a popular alternative to traditional supplements and medications, blending efficacy with taste and ease of consumption. This shift has placed new demands on manufacturers, requiring advanced processing technologies that ensure product safety, consistency, and compliance with regulatory standards. Companies specialising in confectionery machinery are stepping up to meet these challenges, integrating pharmaceutical-grade quality controls and optimising production processes to support the growing market for functional confectionery.
The trend towards using simple fruit gums as an alternative dosage form for food supplements or medicines has greatly increased the demands placed on confectionery machine manufacturers in terms of product quality and safety. In recent years, Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen GmbH (WDS) has been gradually expanding its product portfolio while enhancing the hygienic design and cleanability of its confectionery machines. Thanks to the implementation of the accepted quality standards of the pharmaceutical industry, WDS draws on a wide range of possibilities in order to embed the quality-relevant product requirements of its customers in its plant technology and the associated plant qualification.
WDS confirms that so far, it is mainly OTC products (i.e. over-the-counter products), supplements and nutraceuticals that have established themselves on the market. However, in some countries, companies are beginning to emerge that are distributing pharmacy-only or even prescription-only medicines in the form of jelly products. On a global level, more and more products are being approved by the relevant regulatory authorities. Strong growth rates have been registered for a wide variety of active additives ranging all the way from vitamins to THC to painkillers.
Plant design in line with pharmaceutical standards
WDS already set the course towards optimising its efforts in the pharmaceutical market back in 2019 with the registration of the sweetOTC brand and the establishment of a dedicated department for this field. The key task in this area is to respond to specific customer product requirements. Speaking to this, a WDS spokesperson says: “This allows us to implement everything from increased demands on plant hygiene to full plant qualification in accordance with GMP regulations. As a result, confectionery manufacturers can now utilise individual processes employed by the pharmaceutical industry, such as batch tracing, for their quality assurance or choose from comprehensive packages of measures.”
The aim is to specifically recognise the risks involved, e.g. by means of an FMEA analysis for product safety and quality, and to derive the appropriate measures from this. “In looking back at projects that have been completed at WDS, it becomes clear that more and more quality assurance mechanisms from the pharmaceutical industry are also being implemented in the food processing industry. We expect this trend to continue,” predicts the spokesperson.
While a comprehensive hygienic plant design sounds like an obvious idea, it is often difficult to implement in practice. Anyone familiar with the relevant papers, e.g. from the EHEDG, will realise that a fully compliant design of a production facility is often only economically possible with compromises.
The spokesperson notes: “For WDS, it is customary to take hygienic design into account as early as the development stage of new plant types. In consultation with the customer, compromises are made between the best possible benefits and reasonable costs in the production and operation of the plant. For units with high hygienic demands, such as depositors, processes such as cleaning, set-up and maintenance are designed to be as efficient as possible. Customers can choose from a wide range of expansion stages.”
The overarching topics of production processes, pharmaceutical quality assurance and hygienic plant design are typically intertwined and often mentioned in the same breath. Nevertheless, it is important to differentiate between the terms. WDS say they aim to offer its customers plants and services tailored to their specific requirements, as it is only on the basis of recognised customer-specific risks that a package of measures can be developed to support confectionery manufacturers with a tailored, economically viable solution for their next product.
Starchless plant technology on the rise
The underlying risk assessment with regard to product quality and safety is decisive for the selection of the manufacturing process to be employed for an OTC product. “Basically, all conventional manufacturing processes for confectionery come into consideration for the production of OTC products. However, we see a clear trend towards starchless plant technology for gum and jelly products in the OTC sector”, explains Janik Hoffmann, Leader of TB-Pharma at WDS. Starchless plants deposit mass into polycarbonate or silicone moulds or sometimes directly into individually portioned and wrapped blister packs. Depending on the requirements profile, however, the classical mogul method can also be used for OTC production.
There are various arguments for or against the process employing mould starch. Mould starch is very difficult to replace entirely, and this increases the risk of cross-contamination. However, mogul processes are more flexible, e.g. in terms of product shape.
The use of polycarbonate moulds, which remain in the plant and are filled in cycles, opens up new possibilities. Optical and gravimetric checks and mould tracking ensure that the moulds meet all quality-relevant criteria at their current position within the plant. Moulds with bad product can be individually ejected and replaced with clean moulds. Automatic mould exchange systems can be used to automatically change sets of several hundred moulds. The moulds can be cleaned hot using acidic and caustic agents. The products can be demoulded in an organised manner and post-treated as required.
High demands are placed on hygiene, for example, when different products with different active ingredients are to be produced on one line: today a melatonin jelly, tomorrow a digestive aid. The requirements placed to ensure the corresponding plant variability are already laid down in the plant design and enable batch separation while preventing cross-contamination.
Advanced stabilising systems
Functionality in food products isn’t just about vitamin dosing, it’s about creating innovative solutions that enhance performance, stability, and sustainability. We move on to speak to Binia Postel, Product Management at Hydrosol, about how they exemplify this by developing advanced stabilising systems that enable manufacturers to produce high-quality mixed fat creams, offering cost-effective, versatile, and sustainable alternatives to conventional dairy creams.
“Sourcing dairy products in different markets presents challenges due to limited availability of milk in many regions,” begins Binia. “In comparison, vegetable fats are available all the time. We address these challenges with our flexible stabilising systems, which can be adapted to the locally available ingredients. This allows manufacturers to produce high-quality mixed fat creams even in regions with limited access to dairy fats,” she explains. By combining vegetable and dairy fats, Hydrosol’s solutions provide cost-effective and stable alternatives to conventional creams, ensuring consistent product quality across various markets.
With a fat content of 30-32%, mixed fat cream is just as versatile as classic whipping cream. “It is perfect as cake toppings or for cream fillings. In the confectionery sector, it gives chocolate fillings a smooth and creamy texture that enhances the overall taste experience. The same applies to ganaches and truffles: the mixed fat cream provides a stable and rich consistency,” notes Binia.
So, how does the performance of mixed fat creams in confectionery compare to conventional creams? “Mixed fat creams in confectionery offer great stability, a balanced taste, and a creamy texture similar to conventional creams,” answers Binia. “Additionally, its high whipping volumes and foam stability make them perfect for airy textures. Overall, mixed fat creams are a cost-effective and versatile alternative to conventional creams while showing the same functional properties.”
Manufacturers are under pressure to reach sustainability goals also, and Hydrosol is dedicated to reducing environmental impact. “Our stabilising system for mixed fat cream offers our customers the opportunity to optimise the carbon footprint of their product compared to dairy cream due to the fact that vegetable fat can be sourced more sustainably compared to animal fats,” comments Binia. “Hydrosol ensures that its products meet high sustainability standards including several certifications, such as FSSC 22000, Bio, Kosher and Halal,” she adds.
To finish, Binia gives Kennedy’s Confection insight into any plans to expand the Stabimuls ICR range to address emerging trends in plant-based or alternative proteins. “We are constantly developing new formulations and applications in line with the increasing demands of the market and the wishes of our customers. With our systems from the Stabimuls ICR series, we focus not only on cost optimisation, but also on functional advantages in application,” she explains. “For example, manufacturers can use the systems to produce mixed fat cream that has a significantly higher whipping volume, a shorter whipping time and a firmer foam structure than conventional cream. Freeze-thaw stable variants are also possible.”
“Furthermore, we investigate how novel proteins from precision fermentation behave in applications such as this. In parallel, our sister company Planteneers is working on the development of functional systems for purely plant-based cream alternatives,” Binia concludes.
Leveraging AI tools for formulation challenges
Functional product development requires some formulation changes, and here we speak to Irma Gonzalez, Global Product Manager, Sweet Taste, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing, to learn about techniques Givaudan have implemented to help with these challenges.
Irma is a Food Technologist with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and currently serves as the Global Product Manager for Sweet Taste at Givaudan. With over 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specialises in product development, innovation and commercialisation. In her role, she defines product strategies, identifies growth opportunities and enhances product positioning in the Sweet and Beverages sector. Previously, she led regional product management for Taste Sweet, Dairy and Dairy Alternatives in LATAM, achieving double-digit growth and contributing to a patent for a sweet solution. Irma has a proven track record of driving cross-functional collaboration and delivering market-driven results.
In the food sector, new technologies are increasingly at the forefront, from sophisticated digital technologies to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and science-based product profiling. These new technologies and capabilities are reshaping the way we formulate products, providing many new possibilities for sugar reduction.
“At Givaudan, our goal is to tap into our expertise and collaborate with our partners to co-create exceptional food and beverage experiences that excite and inspire consumers globally,” Irma says. “To optimise flavour and food formulation for health-aware consumers, we can leverage AI with ATOM®, our unique Advanced Tools for Modelling.”
“ATOM® uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence for optimisation and facilitates consumer-preferred co-creation. Building on over two decades of research, ATOM® generates new options and insights aligned with consumer preferences, enabling us to co-create game-changing new food experiences.”
ATOM® identifies positive and negative flavour drivers and explores flavour ingredient synergies. “With complex product formulas, ATOM® can help analyse the contribution and synergies across ingredients, all the while bolstering the sweet taste, aroma, colour, texture, preservation and nutrition,” Irma explains.
Givaudan’s ATOM® can be used as a tool for helping customers to reduce sugar content in products. “It has been instrumental in a number of successful projects, optimising the balance of natural sweeteners to meet regulatory guidelines,” Irma insists.
A notable example is how ATOM® was used to reduce sugar (and salt) in a customer ketchup formulation. “Givaudan’s experts reduced the salt content by 40%, and the sugar content by 28%, and the taste didn’t alter in the process. This shows us how humans, working with AI, can co-create products that both do good and feel good for today’s consumers,” says Irma. “Working in unison, scientists and digital tools can create dynamic products. Givaudan’s VAS (Virtual Aroma Synthesizer) technology – a digital aroma dispensing device – can also work together with ATOM.”
There is a distinct ‘sugar shift’ right now, and Givaudan’s research amplifies this further. For example, Givaudan’s research shows that 54% of shoppers say that reducing sugar has become more important in their diet over the last year, and over a quarter believe bland, healthy food presents an obstacle to lifestyle changes. Industry players face the huge challenge of creating products with less sugar but just as much natural flavour – within budget and at scale.
“Givaudan has a comprehensive understanding of the issues our customers must navigate, as when the sugar is reduced – or removed – the sophistication of the sweet taste can also diminish. That’s where our experts can co-create and collaborate to help companies recreate a full-flavour experience in reduced-sugar food and beverages for the modern consumer,” Irma notes.
“In addition, Givaudan’s Sweet Smart Masterclass series (seasons 1 and 2) offers a wealth of information to help guide industry players on the topic of sugar reduction. Through our key technologies, such as our Advanced Tools for Modelling (ATOM®), we can collaborate with our partners and co-create dynamic new food solutions and experiences for 2025 and beyond.”
Watching Givaudan’s Sweet Smart Masterclass series (seasons 1 and 2) is essential for industry players. In this video series, we examine the complex topic of sugar reduction: collaborating and co-creating with manufacturers in the space. With the second season released last year, the episodes cover the science behind sugar reduction, sweetness and reformulation.
Having a deep knowledge of sweetness perception is crucial for manufacturers in the market. Topics covered in the various episodes of the masterclass include:
– Sweetness perception: by having a more in-depth understanding of sweetness perception in the mouth during food consumption, it’s possible to recognise the elements of a product that are most likely to be impacted by sugar reduction (Episode 6).
– Sensory tools: how manufacturers can use sensory tools to analyse how sugar perceptions can vary from sugar alternative perceptions (Episode 5).
– Rebuilding the full taste experience: identifying potential changes in product taste and utilising an array of flavours and to reinvent a product into one with less sugar (Episode 4).
