Gummies, gummi candies, gummy candies, or jelly sweets are a broad category of

gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

-based chewable sweets.

Gummi bear Gummy bears (German: ''Gummibär'') are small, fruit gum candies, similar to a jelly baby in some English-speaking countries. The candy is roughly long and shaped in the form of a bear. The gummy bear is one of many gummies, popular gelatin ...

Sour Patch Kids Sour Patch Kids (known as Very Bad Kids in France, and known as Maynards Sour Patch Kids in Canada and previously in the UK) are a brand of soft candy with a coating of invert sugar and sour sugar (a combination of citric acid, tartaric acid, an ...

, and

Jelly Babies Jelly Babies are a type of soft sugar jelly sweets in the shape of plump babies, sold in a variety of colours. They were first manufactured in Lancashire, England, in the nineteenth century. Their popularity waned before being revived by Basset ...

are widely popular and are a well-known part of the sweets industry. Gummies are available in a wide variety of shapes, most commonly seen as colorful depictions of living things such as bears, babies, or worms. Various brands such as

Bassett's George Bassett & Co., known simply as Bassett's, was a British confectionery company and is now used as a brand of Cadbury, owned by Mondelēz International. The company was founded in Sheffield by George Bassett in 1842. Perhaps the company's ...

Haribo Haribo ( ) is a German confectionery company founded by Hans Riegel Sr.. It began in Kessenich, Bonn, Germany. The name "Haribo" is a syllabic abbreviation formed from Hans Riegel Bonn. The company created the first gummy candy in 1960 in the for ...

Betty Crocker Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in advertising campaigns for food and recipes. The character was originally created by the Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 following a contest in the '' Saturday Evening Post''. In 1954, ...

Hersheys The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milksh ...

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

and

Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...

manufacture various forms of gummy snacks, often targeted at young children. The name "gummi" originated in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, with the term "jelly sweets" more common in the British English language.

History

Gummies have a long history as a popular

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

. The first gelatin based shaped candy was the Unclaimed Babies, sold by Fryers of Lancashire in 1864. In the 1920s,

Hans Riegel Johannes Peter "Hans" Riegel, also known as Hans Riegel Jr. (10 March 1923 – 15 October 2013), was a German entrepreneur who owned and operated the confectioner Haribo since 1946. Biography Born in Bonn, Riegel was the oldest son of the co ...

started his own candy company and eventually popularized the fruit flavored gummy candy with gelatin as the main ingredient. By the start of

World War Two World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the company started by Riegel employed over 400 people and produced multiple tons of candy each day. The company was named

, and it became a main producer of gummy bears.

Ingredients

Gummy candies are made mostly of corn syrup, sucrose, gelatin, starch and water. In addition, minor amounts of coloring and flavoring agents are used. Food acids such as citric acid and malic acid are also added in order to give a tart flavor to gummies. It is often that other gelling agents are used in place of gelatin to make gummy candies suitable for vegans or vegetarians, such as starch and pectin.

Types of gummies

Babies

The Jelly Babies gum candy was the first commercially available shaped gum candy. It originated in the United Kingdom. They were first produced by Fryers of Lancashire in 1864 and sold as "Unclaimed Babies". By 1918 they were (and still are) produced by Bassett's in Sheffield as Jelly Babies.

Bears

The

gummy bear Gummy bears (German: ''Gummibär'') are small, fruit gum candies, similar to a jelly baby in some English-speaking countries. The candy is roughly long and shaped in the form of a bear. The gummy bear is one of many gummies, popular gel ...

originated in Germany, where it is popular under the name ''Gummibär'' (rubber bear) or ''Gummibärchen'' (little rubber bear).

Sr., a maker from Bonn, produced these sweets under the

company, which he started in 1920.

Bottles

Cola bottles are sweets in the shape of classic

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

-style bottles with a cola flavor. They are produced by numerous companies. "Fizzy Blue Bottles", made by Lutti (formerly part of the French division of the

Leaf Company A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

, now controlled by a private investment group), are sweets typically found in a pick and mix selection. These are very similar to cola bottle gummies in shape, but they are usually sour and coloured blue and pink. "Blue Bottles", a variation from another company, are identifiable by the small rims around the sides, and are chewier and thicker, with a sweeter taste.

Rings

Ring-shaped gummy is often covered in sugar or sour powder. The most common and popular flavor is the peach ring. Other flavors include green apple, melon, blue raspberry, strawberry, and aniseed — although these are typically coated in chocolate. A commonly known producer of gummy rings is

Trolli Trolli is a German manufacturer of confectionery. Its American arm was sold in 1996 and became a confectionery brand used by Ferrara Candy Company. Trolli sells gummy candies, marshmallows, and soft licorice gums in over 80 countries and has fac ...

, for which the gummy rings are an important asset.

Red frogs

In Australia, jelly confectionery in the shape of frogs has been very popular since the 1930s. They are colored red or green, although they are usually referred to as "red frogs". These have influenced the shape, structure, consistency and formula that makes gummy bears. Red frog gummies are not associated with the

Red Frogs Red Frogs Australia is a Christian Youth charity run by volunteers known as the 'Red Frogs Crew'. The volunteers participate in many events that are attended by school leavers and university students, such as schoolies week, university par ...

Association.

Roadkill gummies

In February 2005, following complaints by the

New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (colloquially, "NJSPCA Humane Police") is a law enforcement agency in the state of New Jersey that focuses on humane law enforcement. The agency enforces animal-related laws and i ...

, Kraft decided to stop production of the controversial Trolli U.S.

Road Kill Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...

Gummies. The society complained that the products, shaped as partly flattened squirrels, chickens and snakes, would give children an incorrect message on the proper treatment of animals.

Teeth gummies

In Australia, jelly

in the shape of teeth has been very popular since the 1930s. They are colored pink and white, with pink representing the gums and teeth being white. They have a slight minty flavor, similar to mint toothpaste.

Worm gummies

There are many types of gummy worms, and Trolli produce
glow worm gummies
with glowing color and sour sugar.

Shark gummies

There are also many types of gummy sharks but the blue and white ones are the most popular.

Vitamin gummies

There are also several multi-vitamin gummy bears, usually marketed for children, such as

Flintstones Chewable Vitamins Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are a supplemental multivitamin for children shaped like the characters of the animated sitcom ''The Flintstones''. They were introduced in 1968 by Miles Laboratories and taste sweet like candy. Miles Laboratories wa ...

. These form of vitamins give off nutrients and protein for those that do not swallow pills or need various supplements to stay healthy.

Health considerations

Times Scientists have studied adding the tooth-protecting sugar substitute

xylitol Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula , or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water. It can be classifie ...

to gummies to fight

tooth decay Tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The cavities may be a number of different colors from yellow to black. Symptoms may include pain and difficulty with eating. Complicatio ...

. Choking risks are higher with gummy candies; research shows that "hard, round foods with high elasticity or lubricity properties, or both, pose a significant level of risk," especially to children under three years of age. This can be resolved with the

Heimlich maneuver Abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver or Heimlich manoeuvre, is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions (or choking) by foreign objects. American doctor Henry Heimlich is often credited for its creation. ...

Storage

Storage of gummy candies in conditions of high humidity will result in the moisture migration of water molecules from the surrounding environment into the candy. If gummy candies are exposed to an environment that is high in moisture content, it is likely that moisture will permeate the candy and increase its relative moisture content. An increase of the candies moisture content will increase the molecular mobility of particles in the candy, leading to a variety of unwanted outcomes such as: * Sucrose crystallization and subsequent grainy texture. * A sticky candy surface. * Diffusion of flavors out of the candy. * Possibility of microbial growth. Moisture migration of gummy candies can be prevented by storing candies in conditions where the surrounding environment is equal to their own moisture content.

References

External links

Gummy candies being made in a factory
(video) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gummi British confectionery German confectionery pl:Żelki (słodycze) pt:Balas de goma