How to do consumer evaluation of gel candy in functional food?

Gel candy is sugar, syrup or sweetener, edible glue (or starch) as the main raw materials, made by relevant processes, with elastic and chewable candy, that is, soft candy. Although fudge is a common snack, the application of this form to the functional food industry has become popular in recent years.
According to the Nutrition Business Journal, in 2018, the compound annual growth rate of the global gummy dietary supplement market was about 16%, making it one of the fastest growing dosage forms. That year, the compound annual growth rate of the overall dietary supplement market was only 6%, and sales of soft candy accounted for 12% of all dietary supplements. In China, according to the supporting documents issued by the State Administration for Market Supervision and Administration not long ago, food forms such as gel candy will also be allowed to be used in the product filing of vitamins and minerals.
Gel candy may “wrap” more health food
In order to expand the dosage form of health food products for the record, according to the relevant national standards for food safety and the situation of registered products, the State Administration for Market Supervision and Administration recently organized the drafting of the technical requirements for the record of gel confectionery and powder. And supporting the revision of the “Health food record available excipients and their use Regulations (2020 version) (draft for comment)” and “Health food record product dosage form and main production process (2020 version) (draft for comment)”.
It is understood that in 2017, when the health food filing work was carried out, the raw materials that could be filed were vitamin and mineral raw materials, including tablets, hard capsules, soft capsules, oral liquid and particles. The two food forms of gel candy and powder added in this supporting document can be used in the product filing of vitamins and minerals.
In the future, the raw materials included in the catalogue of health food raw materials, the product dosage form (or food form) that can be filed will be implemented according to the requirements of the “Catalogue of Health food raw materials” and supporting documents, and the catalogue of health food raw materials will be further adjusted and increased in the future, according to the characteristics of raw materials, The dosage form (or food form) that can be filed in the future will also make relevant provisions and requirements with the relevant supporting documents.
Some insiders predict that with the expansion of the scope of health food raw materials, the raw materials that can be used for filing will not only be limited to vitamin and mineral products, but include more functional raw materials.
Gummy dietary supplements fit consumer needs
The explosive growth of soft sugar dietary supplements, in addition to the rapid growth of the industry itself, and its traditional food form, with a sense of pleasure of food, with the experience is inseparable.
In the past few years, the consumption of dietary supplements has grown rapidly among consumers of all ages, and at the same time there has been a phenomenon of “pill fatigue.” Most dietary supplements, like drugs, are sold in the traditional form of tablets, capsules and oral liquids, and many people need to take a large amount of them throughout the day, which will cause great psychological pressure, which also promotes the innovation of dietary supplement dosage forms.
Fudge, long a snack, not only doesn’t look like medicine, but it also allows consumers to consume nutrition in a fun, tasty and portable way, making brands stand out. Initially targeted primarily at children who did not like to “take medicine,” gummy formulations now account for more than half of sales in the children’s vitamins, minerals and functional foods segment. The soft candy can be swallowed without water, has a long shelf life, and rich flavor and color, has begun to attract young women and middle-aged and elderly groups of consumption. Adults are already the primary target audience for fudge, accounting for more than 65% of the fudge supplement market.
In 2019, 49% of dietary supplement users in the United States switched from traditional forms such as tablets and capsules to gummies. In 2019, the largest category of gummy supplements in the United States was vitamins and minerals, with other categories such as herbal/botanicals, probiotics, melatonin, etc., also gaining popularity.
New product iterations drive the market forward
In order to meet the health demands of new consumer groups, at present, enterprises have begun to introduce new soft sugar dietary supplements with excellent color, fragrance and function.
For a long time, the gelatin extracted from the bone and skin of cattle and pigs is the main raw material for the production of soft sugar, giving the soft sugar a stable, sticky, elastic texture, but the low melting point of gelatin (about 35°C) leads to the product easy to melt in storage and transportation, resulting in deformation and caking, at the same time, plant-based raw materials began to be favored by consumers. Plant colloids such as pectin, seaweed gum, gum Arabic, guar gum and AGAR began to gradually replace gelatin in gummy sugar. These plant colloids often contain a lot of dietary fiber, beneficial digestion and high thermal stability.
The flavor of reduced fudge is the main factor to win the market, but its high sugar content can cause tooth decay in children and lead to obesity, so reducing the sugar content of fudge and maintaining its flavor is also an important innovative trend, manufacturers can substitute sugar through erythrolitol, stevia, monkfruit and other substitutes, or use natural fruit and vegetable ingredients instead of sugar. Clean labels Despite the fact that gummy supplements already cost more than their counterparts, consumers are willing to pay more for organic gummies. It is understood that in some developing countries, due to the high importance of consumers on food safety and product quality, the willingness to buy natural ingredients is increasing.
In addition, portable pouch packaging and more innovative flavor products are also being further developed.
Product functions tend to be diversified
Vitamins/minerals are the main type of gummy supplement. Relevant data indicate that the outlook for the gummy vitamin market is optimistic, with a compound annual growth rate of about 6%, which is expected to grow from about $3.1 billion in 2018 to about $5.8 billion in 2029. Among them, women have a high consumption of gummy vitamins, and by 2024, children will be the main consumers of gummy vitamins.
In addition, probiotic-rich gummy vitamins are gaining traction. The health benefits of probiotics in boosting immunity and promoting digestion are becoming known to more and more consumers.
Other common functional gummies include melatonin gummies that promote sleep, collagen gummies that beautify and whiten, omega-3 gummies that puzzle, and gummies that protect heart and blood vessels.
Real case – Fudge test
We collected 12 mainstream fudge products from the Chinese market, and first asked consumers to taste them and describe how the appearance and texture of the products made them feel.

Consumer terminology

Gummy sensory texture evaluation factor: Based on the description language generated by consumers, combined with a proprietary sensory texture lexaurus, the above consumer description language was programmed into a scientific and measurable sensory factor.