The Sour Gummy Dilemma - Ingredient lesson learned 🧐
by Siouxie Boshoff on Mar 31, 2025
“Why haven’t you released a sour gummy bear?! 🙏”
We hear you. We get this a lot.😅
The answer might surprise you.
But first, a quick lesson in sour gummies…
Gummy candies are traditionally made with a sugar, gelatin, some kind of food grade acid (citric, malic, tartaric), colors and flavors. Pretty straight-forward.
Sour mixes are typically made with: significantly more acid (that sour hit), and a carrier (usually sugar).
HOWEVER, gummies typically degrade and become pretty sticky when bathed in that sour mix. It’s a real challenge faced by every candy maker.
The reason is that the sour mixture actually pulls the moisture OUT of the gummy, making it “sweat” and all that moisture reduces the integrity of the gummy itself. This is a problem, especially when it comes to any kind of shelf life.
We’ve tried a number of mixtures, and all of them have failed to create a lasting sour gummy we could put on the shelf of any store.
“But, sour gummies are everywhere on store shelves.”
Yes. We know. And ours could be too.😅
There’s actually a simple solution that other gummy makers use all day, every day.
Encapsulated acid.
Sounds so innocuous, right? It’s brilliant actually. I mean, taking an acid and encapsulating it in a tiny barrier so it doesn’t affect the gummy is genius.💡
We obviously explored this solution because Grant loves sour gummies best, and so do many of you.
My first question was, what is it encapsulated with? Like, what is that barrier between my gummies and the sour acid that coats it?
Sadly, the answer is a bummer and a hard ‘no’ for me. I won’t bore you with the actual COA (Certificate of Analysis) and technical specs. But, here’s a simple answer that is correct.
This is the AI response when I googled: “what is the fat used in encapsulated acid”
Encapsulated acids, like citric acid, are coated with hydrogenated vegetable oil (a type of trans fat) to prevent premature dissolution and to control the release of the acid during processing and cooking. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Here's a more detailed explanation: [5, 6]
- Purpose of Encapsulation: The fat coating acts as a barrier, preventing the acid from reacting with other ingredients or dissolving prematurely in the presence of moisture. This allows for better control over the acidity levels and flavor profile of the final product. [5, 6]
- Common Fat Used: Hydrogenated vegetable oil, specifically cottonseed oil, is frequently used to coat the acid. [2, 3, 5]
- Benefits of Encapsulation: [5, 6]
- Controlled Acid Release: The coating ensures that the acid is released at the right time, during cooking or processing, rather than immediately upon mixing. [5, 6]
- Flavor Enhancement: Encapsulated acids can add a tangy or sour flavor to foods, like sausages or snack sticks, without the need for starter cultures. [3, 5, 7]
- Shelf Life Extension: Lowering the pH of a food product through the use of encapsulated acids can help extend its shelf life by inhibiting bacterial growth. [7]
- Alternatives: While hydrogenated vegetable oil is common, other fats like palm oil, rapeseed fat, or sunflower fat can also be used for encapsulation, depending on the specific application and desired outcome. [6, 8]
- Considerations: Some people try to avoid hydrogenated oils due to their negative impact on health, and snack sticks that use encapsulated citric acid are not required to label that they contain trans fat. [1, 4]
Encapsulated Acid - The hydrogenated oil you didn’t know you were consuming.
So, no. We won’t be adding “encapsulated acid” to our ingredients list on any of our products. We’ve worked too hard to get here.
And factually, we wouldn’t even have to list the encapsulated acid—just the acids.
Regardless, it hasn’t been the easiest road in creating a sugar-free gummy bear without seed oils, and we aren’t going to change that now.
And we’re certainly not going to add any hydrogenated oils and trans-fats to the mix—even if it doesn’t have to be declared on our label. 🤦🏻♀️
But, fear not.
We do believe there is a path to a sour gummy that aligns with our values. We’ve been hard at work solving it. There’s always a way.🧐
Now that you know about this ingredient, you should know that various encapsulated acids are also a fairly common ingredient listed in many “clean” meat sticks, and not just sour candy.😅
While gummies are still candy, we’d like to think ours is the healthiest option. So, with that close in mind, we’ll keep working and keep you posted.
Thanks for tuning in.😉
References:
[1] https://singingpastures.com/blogs/the-singing-pastures-blog/what-s-in-a-snack-stick
[2] https://modernistpantry.com/products/encapsulated-citric-acid.html
[3] https://waltons.com/encapsulated-citric-acid-4-oz/
[4] https://www.instagram.com/singingpastures/reel/DAoQd-NPGeK/
[6] https://www.capol.de/en/products/encapsulated-acids/
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1eJyR25cgU
[8] https://www.tastetech.com/updates/effects-of-coreshell-encapsulation/
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