Capol set for major functional ingredients ProSweets showcase
prosweets 2023 was a shortened edition in Cologne, but will be back at full strength for 2024. Pic: Neill Barston
Germany’s Capol functional ingredients company is keenly anticipating its latest appearance at the major ProSweets global confectionery event in Cologne later this month, reports Neill Barston.
As the company explained to Confectionery Production, its latest offering comes in response to a growing consumer trend for healthier product ranges that offer natural ingredient solutions, with the company aiming to support manufacturers in the delivery of ‘better-for-you’ product series.
For this year’s ProSweets, taking place between 28-31 January, the business, which can be found at Hall 10.1, booth D18, the company will feature alongside a total of around 250 businesses from around the world, drawn from across equipment, systems and ingredients segments.
The business will be showcasing its key Vivapigments natural colour series, which recently claimed an accolade at the 2023 World Confectionery Conference (below) for its latest addition to its range, which has gained strong market take-up since its introduction.
Notably, as the company explained, consumers are increasingly gravitating towards products that meet their dietary needs and align with their lifestyles, which has consequently led to a surge in development of reduced sugar content, more natural ingredients, and the incorporation of functional benefits.
As the company revealed, transparent and clean ingredient lists have become the flagship for a movement of consumers who are increasingly conscious of their nutritional choices. Functional Gummies are driving growth There is a growing consumer interest in confectionery products that offer functional benefits, encompassing added vitamins, minerals, and various nutritional enhancements. Moreover, alongside addressing physical needs, consumers are increasingly recognising the significance of promoting strong mental health and supporting emotional well-being.
Among the emerging trends, the category of functional gummies has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity, serving as a significant driver for continued expansion of the functional confectionery market. To ensure impeccable hygiene standards and to prevent any cross-contamination during the production of functional gummies, gummy manufacturers are transitioning from traditional mogul plant production to starchless manufacturing lines.
Whereas in a traditional setup featuring moulds, in which the gummy mass is poured, are shaped using a starch bed, the starchless technology uses predefined solid forms, including for example silicone, metal, or polycarbonate moulds.
Such starchless moulding requires optimised product finishing Ensuring a smooth demoulding process for the gummies, as well as achieving an appealing finish in the oiling process, has become a crucial focus amid the adoption of these techniques.
“Working closely with our customers, we identified that there are additional, critical needs in starchless applications when it comes to surface treatment of functional gummies”, explains CAPOL Technical Director AJ Khoury. “For instance, manufacturers frequently encounter issues concerning gummies that are excessively coated with oil, leading to a compromised product appeal and untapped efficiencies.”
Addressing the challenges associated with starchless moulding, CAPOL has developed an innovative finishing system tailored specifically for starchless molded gum confections, set to debut at the upcoming ProSweets/ISM in January 2024.
“The increasing emphasis on better-for-you snacking and conscious consumption remains one of the key drivers in ingredient selection and innovation within the confectionery industry,” notes CAPOL Head of Marketing and Communications Ann-Christin Meier.
As the company added, this trend is largely fuelled by consumer preferences. Moreover, there is a growing influence of health considerations in global confectionery market dynamics, with regulations increasingly impacting ingredient choices within the industry. Recent developments, such as the ban on red dye 3 in California, which has a profound impact on the entire US food industry, as well as ongoing discussions concerning the use of the whitening agent titanium dioxide underscore these implications.
Using its long-standing expertise in providing natural ingredient solutions, Capol has developed effective alternative solutions to support candy manufacturers navigate necessary product reformulations and respond to these regulatory changes. Natural colour solutions cater to conscious consumers In an era where consumers view artificial additives as contradictory to their health conscious lifestyle, natural colours can make the difference. Significantly, the business recently expanded its Vivapigments range of natural colour pigments, introducing a new safflower-based yellow that complies with the EU regulatory requirements for colouring foodstuff.
This latest addition now completes the company’s portfolio of primary colors classified as colouring food, all developed using the company’s proprietary Vivapigments technology. This technology enables the creation of natural colour pigments derived from natural sources while replicating the properties of lake colours.
