Candy Babel

The History of Gummi Candy Hans Riegel invented gummi bears during the 1920s. By Mary Bellis  

Gummi Bears are displayed in a glass jar at Sweet Dish candy store in San Francisco, California. Candy sales are rising as Americans seek to comfort themselves during the difficult economic times.

Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesHans Riegel invented gummi bears (the first gummi candy) and gummi candy during the 1920s. Riegel was the owner of the German candy company Haribo. Haribo went on to manufacture the first American made gummi candy in 1982.

In 1981, another German gummi candy manufacturer called Trolli decided to made the first gummi worm. Gummi worms have become the most popular gummi candy ever made. The average Brite Crawler the number one sold gummi worm is two inches long.

Edible gelatin is the basic ingredient in gummi candy. Gelatin is also found in soft caramels, marshmallows, foam-filled wafers, licorice, wine gums, pastilles, chocolate coated mallows and a host of other sweets, because it gives candy elasticity, the desired chewy consistency, and a longer shelf life. Gelatin has been used since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs.

How Gummi Candy Is Mass Produced

According to Black Forest the makers of assorted gummies, "gummi candies are a blend of corn starch, corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, color, and flavor." The ingredients are weighed, mixed, and pumped into a special candy cooker that Black Forest uses, a 128 foot long stainless steel coil that cooks the candy by steam outside of the coil. Then the cooker pumps the gummi into a vacuum chamber to remove excess moisture. From the vacuum chamber the gummi moves on to a mix station where colors, flavors, acids, and fruit concentrates are mixed into the gummi stock. Next, the Mogul, a starch moulding machine pumps the gummi stock into starch filled mould boards that shape the gummi candies. After curing, the gummies are removed from the moulds, packaged, delivered, and sold.