In the early 1920s, Hans Riegel's Haribo works in Bonn, Germany, cast the first commercial gummy bears with the starch mogul method, a low-tech drying and molding approach that remains a useful study in energy-conscious manufacturing. Haribo launched the Dancing Bear in 1922. Starch casting was already in use for softer candies by then; Haribo's contribution was the bear shape applied to a familiar method. The process centered on a series of shallow wooden trays filled with fine, food-grade cornstarch. Each tray was imprinted with bear-shaped molds, into which the warm liquid gum mixture was deposited. The filled trays were then stacked on racks and wheeled into drying rooms where the starch wicked moisture away over 24 to 48 hours, helped by room airflow and moderate temperature.
The Original Starch Drying Process
The starch played a dual role: it shaped the candies and wicked away moisture. Key aspects included:
- Ambient drying chambers: Large rooms with controlled airflow and little to no active heating. The starch did the main work of pulling water out of the gum, so the room only needed to stay dry and well ventilated rather than hot.
- Multiple tray rotations: After the initial set, trays were periodically moved or the starch was stirred to expose fresh surfaces, so moisture left evenly without caking.
- Starch reconditioning: Once the gummies were demolded, the used starch was sieved, dried in thin layers under the same room conditions, and reused repeatedly, creating a near-zero-waste cycle.
Lessons for Modern Energy-Conscious Production
That 1920s approach offers several lessons that carry into today's energy-saving efforts in supplement manufacturing:
- Low-energy drying steps cut the load on powered dryers. Processing areas that harness ambient airflow and stable room temperatures can reduce how much energy a facility spends on conditioning air. KorNutra integrates similar principles by optimizing HVAC layouts and using insulated curing zones that echo the old drying-room concept, reducing electricity use.
- Multi-use processing aids cut waste. The reuse of starch mirrors today's push for closed-loop systems. In gummy supplement production, reusable molding powders and recyclable tray materials lower both material costs and environmental footprint.
- Time as a resource, not a bottleneck. The 1920s factory embraced a longer drying time to avoid heat damage and energy costs. Today, energy-conscious manufacturers balance throughput with smart scheduling, running batches during off-peak energy hours or using slow, steady dehydration that preserves ingredient integrity without the kilowatt spikes of high-heat tunnels.
- Simplicity breeds reliability. The starch mogul method had few moving parts. Modern lines can adopt this mindset by selecting reliable, low-maintenance equipment that saves energy by avoiding frequent stops, starts, and complex power-hungry controls.
Why Modern Lines Still Condition the Drying Room
Today's gummy lines kept the starch room but added active control over the two variables the 1920s plant could only approximate: temperature and relative humidity. Pectin-based gummies, now the standard for plant-based supplements, dry best at roughly 21 to 27°C (70 to 80°F) and 30 to 40 percent relative humidity. Humidity matters more than heat here. Starch can pull water out of a gummy only if the surrounding air can take that moisture in turn, so in a humid room the starch saturates, the surface stays tacky, and the batch sets unevenly. Modern conditioning rooms run programmed steps of temperature and humidity, and many lines add dehumidifiers rather than extra heat, since the goal is removing water without cooking the product. The transferable lesson is the same one the 1920s room taught: match airflow and conditioning to the batch and remove only the moisture that has to leave.
The first gummy bear line showed that careful, low-energy processing could still turn out a consistent product. At KorNutra, we honor that legacy by continuously refining our energy use, seeking drying techniques that prioritize gentle, low-impact methods while meeting rigorous quality standards for gummy supplements.