The most important question about the effect of high shear during depositing on the final gummy structure that is currently ignored by the industry is: How does the duration and intensity of high shear at the nozzle disrupt long-term gel network formation and final texture uniformity?
Most manufacturers watch the immediate rheological response, the viscosity drop during depositing, and stop there. The permanent structural damage is what gets missed. High shear can break the hydrogen bonds and other non-covalent interactions that build the gel network, from a gelatin triple helix to a calcium-bridged pectin junction. Shear thinning is reversible. A junction zone torn apart at the nozzle often fails to reform, leading to:
- Uneven texture: gummies with softer or firmer zones from localized network disruption.
- Increased syneresis: water separation over time because the matrix cannot properly retain moisture.
- Reduced elasticity and mouthfeel: a less cohesive, sometimes brittle final product.
Ignoring this question means accepting batch-to-batch variation and a shorter shelf life. The levers are specific: deposition temperature against the gel-set point, nozzle diameter, flow rate, and the pump that drives the mass. For calcium-set pectin, calcium release timing matters most, since calcium can start to gel the mass at the nozzle, where shear tears the early network apart.
Shear recovery in gelatin and pectin
Gelatin and pectin do not recover from shear the same way. Gelatin forms a thermoreversible triple helix as the mass cools, so a well-handled melt rebuilds on cooling. Calcium-set low-methoxyl pectin recovers less completely: its ionic junction zones, once disrupted, do not readily reassemble, and excess calcium near the nozzle can trigger premature gelation that shear then breaks apart.
At KorNutra, we prioritize understanding these process parameters to ensure every deposit results in a structurally sound, high-quality gummy.