By Andrew Grazela, Principal Technical Service Account Manager and Pooja Nersekar, Senior Technical Service Account Manager
Here’s a fact to chew on to get started: Gummies are no longer just for kids. Adult consumers who loved gummies as children still love them today in their many forms. There’s a feeling of nostalgia for many adults when they have a gummy, and they feel good about eating them. That holds true no matter what the need-state is that’s being addressed, making them an ideal vehicle for supplements, as a treat, and for snacking.
The remarkable versatility of gummies is rewriting how consumers interact with health products, snacks, and indulgences while also opening up opportunities for manufacturers to explore new product lines—and revenue streams. At Tate & Lyle, we’re on a mission to lead the gummy revolution by focusing on formulation flexibility. From classic confections to wellness- and better-for-you-driven formats, we empower our customers with the tools to meet diverse market demands. Our recent addition of the CP Kelco portfolio of ingredient solutions expanded our capabilities with gummies and superior formulations even further.
At this year’s IFT First trade show, we’ll reveal our latest prototype: a dual-flavor, dual-texture gummy, created for an unprecedented mouthfeel experience in this space. Here’s how we’re shaping the future of gummies—and we’ll share a surprise we came across while developing our prototype.
Reimagining What Gummies Can Be
Gummies hold a unique position in the confectionery sector: they can be candy, supplement, or functional food—all in one bite. Our consumer insights show nostalgia and convenience drive gummy popularity, while clean labels and sugar reduction dominate modern expectations. So, what’s driving gummy innovation isn’t a single trend—it’s a convergence of them.
Health-conscious consumers want less sugar but not less satisfaction. Others are drawn to the format because it’s convenient, snackable, and an easy way to top up on fiber or vitamins. When was the last time you were happy or excited to swallow a pill?
That’s why we design our systems to address both indulgence and health positioning. Whether the goal is to deliver a reduced-sugar product or a classic candy-style chew, we help formulators build structure, preserve flavor, and maintain a consistent eating experience for the consumer.
As a manufacturer, you face challenges like gummies melting in high temperatures during transport. We address this with heat-stable formulations by removing traditional gelatin, offering an animal product-free solution that can meet halal, kosher, or vegan certifications.
Our ingredient toolbox includes a range of hydrocolloids, fibers, and sweeteners that can be employed and combined to suit all your formulation goals without introducing unwanted formulation complexity.
From Citrus Peel to Seaweed: Ingredient-Driven Innovation
Two of the most effective hydrocolloids for gummy applications—pectin and carrageenan—each bring something unique to the table.
Pectin is far from new—it’s been around since the early 19th century and remains a familiar, easily recognizable ingredient on product labels. That familiarity resonates strongly with consumers, especially those who value transparency. Our GENU® Pectin works as well in sugar-free and reduced-sugar systems as it does in full sugar, where it offers good flavor release, a rapid set, and a label-friendly story. It’s also acid-tolerant, making it ideal for bright, fruit-forward profiles.
Carrageenan is a strong choice for gelatin-free products to create that familiar, chewy mouthfeel. It performs best in more neutral pH systems, which opens the door to flavors like coconut, vanilla, and cream. It can also be aerated for a lighter, marshmallow-like texture, giving developers more room to play with mouthfeel and contrasting textures. It’s plant-based, too, being derived from seaweed, so it’s perfect for diet-specific and clean-label formulations. We have a range of carrageenan ingredients in our portfolio, including GENUTINE®, an excellent choice for gummies and chews.
We’ve also begun exploring citrus fiber as a lower-cost alternative to refined pectin. It delivers some of the same functionality while adding a slightly pulpy texture that can reinforce the fruit flavor—a subtle but effective sensory signal for consumers. Our NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber comes from upcycled citrus peels, and it’s an exciting tool in our toolkit.
Functional, Fun, and Scalable: Our Prototype Gummy is a Tasty Proof-of-Concept.
To showcase our innovative systems, we created a dual-texture, dual-flavor gummy. The piña colada-inspired treat features a no-sugar-added pineapple layer made with our pectin, citrus fiber, stevia and allulose, paired with a full-sugar coconut layer made with carrageenan. The result? A delightful and unique combination of a bright, acidic top and soft, creamy base—two distinct textures engineered to perfection.
While visually playful (we believe food is fun!), this prototype is rooted in technical purpose. It highlights how our application scientists have developed systems to manage critical formulation challenges—solids control, moisture migration, and pH balance—without requiring exotic equipment or complex handling. It’s fully scalable and built to be flexible. Each layer can stand alone, be modified, or serve as inspiration for other concepts, from fortified confections to indulgent seasonal launches.
Engineering for Experience: Why Mouthfeel Matters
Great taste alone isn’t enough to win devoted customers for your food product. Mouthfeel is just at least as important because of the vast amount of sensory information it conveys. Consumers may forgive a slightly unusual flavor in a health-driven reformulation, but mouthfeel flaws are non-negotiable.
Ultimately, mouthfeel is a huge part of what makes a gummy experience pleasant or not. It can’t be too soft or too firm, feel wet, create excessive toothpacking or stickiness in your teeth, and the list goes on. All this, and it has to deliver great flavor.
That’s why we designed our dual-texture prototype to be a full sensory experience. One layer is a little firm, just a hint of pleasant resistance, and it’s bright and fruit-forward. The other is aerated, so it’s light, soft, but also textured with coconut. It’s engineered to contrast, surprise, and create an exceptional eating occasion from first bite to last. That’s the kind of product that creates value for customers and can win you their loyalty.
We mentioned a surprise in the introduction. The prototype is firm enough that we are able to serve it on a stick, which is how we’ll showcase it at IFT First; it’s the perfect way to encourage multiple bites to capture that multi-texture, multi-sensory experience. What we discovered, however, is that the two layers can be peeled apart to create two individual gummies. This creates the opportunity to sample both flavors and textures separately, and each is excellent on its own. On a surface level, it’s just fun to do. Thinking as food scientists and developers, it’s not a big leap to imagine sandwich-style layered gummies and peel-apart gummies.
See It. Taste It. Imagine More.
Our dual-layer gummy lollipop isn’t a trade show novelty; it’s a real-world example of the dynamic direction this category is heading. It invites all who try it to rethink what’s possible with gummies and what’s possible when you work with the right ingredients partner.
Tate & Lyle offers an unparalleled suite of ingredient solutions for all your formulation challenges. With our creativity, insights and technical expertise, we help you craft your next great product, from concept to full-scale production. Most importantly, we share your passion for creating incredible food and beverage experiences.
Curious about what’s possible? Let’s talk at IFT First expo or contact us today!