Starch systems provide cost management benefits to marshmallow and gummy candy confectioners

Confectioners, like most other food manufacturers, have made “cost management” a top priority. According to a recent survey of food industry R&D strategies from foodprocessing.com, “contributing to cost reduction” is the second most important concern next to food safety.¹ Cargill’s starch ingredient offerings can help confectionery manufacturers better manage their raw ingredient costs without compromising their product quality and brand loyalty.

The price of gelatin

Gelatin is an important ingredient in gummy and marshmallow based confection applications. The unique elastic-like properties makes it an ideal ingredient. Recently, however, the price of gelatin has risen due to a shortage of certain types of gelatin and increased demand in an already tight supply situation.

Starches are a well established gelling agent for soft candy, offering a range of textures for the reformulation or creation of different products. Starch-based ingredients can speed up drying times and improve processing efficiency as well as providing savings for manufacturers on raw materials. By replacing only a portion of the gelatin with starch-based products, you improve formula cost structures without significantly changing the finished product.

ClearSet™ 75505 is a modified tapioca starch well suited to the production of soft and clear fruity gummy candy as a partial gelatin replacement. ClearSet™ 75505 provides the chewy texture that consumers expect in finished gummy candy, plus... 

ClearSet™ 75505 provides: High clarity Excellent quality through long shelf-life Acid and salt stability Elastic and flexible texture Excellent flavor release

ClearSet™ 75505 can effectively offset 15-20% of the gelatin in formulations. ClearSet™ starches provide an economic alternative for gelatin in wine gums, gelatin gummies and jellies, alone or in combination with other gelling agents such as carrageenan or pectin.

Formula cost stability

VersaGel^® 05100 is a modified food starch system for partial gelatin replacement in marshmallow. This product is corn based, unlike gelatin, which can provide formula cost stability. VersaGel^® 05100 can replace up to 20% of gelatin in marshmallow.

The quality and consistency of VersaGel^® 05100 makes it easy to incorporate into marshmallow applications without changing process conditions. Marshmallow texture can be enhanced as well with VersaGel^® as it extends the freshness of the marshmallow. As an added campfire-based bonus, VersaGel^® 05100 provides no changes in the marshmallow roasting experience.

While there is no silver bullet for gelatin replacement, significant portions can be supplemented with starch-based ingredients without loss of flavor or functionality. Outright replacement of gelatin with a starch-based product will change product texture. That’s why it’s important to know how much starch product to use in your formulations as the more intricate the texture, the more complex the ingredient or systems become.

¹http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2011/rdsurvey.html