Anlit develops veggie turmeric gummies to tap confectionery supplement growth

02-Mar-2017 - Last updated on 02-Mar-2017 at 08:35 GMT

Anlit's latest gummy supplement is made with pectin instead of gelatin. Photo: Anlit

Anlit has develop its first pectin-based gummies that deliver curcumin amid growing interest for natural confectionery supplements for adults.

The supplements maker is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Maabarot Products Group, and it primarily produces gummy bears and chocolate-texture bears for immune system support, brain and cognitive development.

The company’s products are currently sold in more than 26 countries, including the US and its home base of Israel. In 2015, the VMS division, in which Anlit is part of, was responsible for 53% of the income of Maabarot Products.

Offsetting unpleasant turmeric odor

Anlit’s newest turmeric gummy contains 30 mg of curcumin and 150 mcg of piperine, according to the company. It said the product is a combination which creates a synergic effect to enhance the absorption of the curcumin and improve its anti-inflammatory activity.

However, turmeric's might discourage consumers from consuming it pure, and there is a growing demand for gummies supplements for kids and consumers that find tablets hard to swallow, VP of sales and marketing at Anlit, Shai Karlinski, said.

“Our technology overcomes organoleptic and technical challenges to ensure that the active ingredient will attain in its full potential to the consumer, and the taste and the texture of the product will be tasty and appealing to the consumer,” he said.

Anlit said the first order of the turmeric gummies for the US market is expected to deliver in Q2 of 2017.

Designed for vegetarians

While most gummies in the market are made with gelatin, the growing consumer demand for vegetarian products led Anlit to replace gelatin with pectin, the company told ConfectioneryNews.

“Pectin-based gummies allow us to offer a natural and vegetarian product and it also opens a door to the vegetarians that wish to enjoy the benefits of food supplements,” Karlinski said.

“In addition, Anlit’s production process is different from the common molding process that is based on starch molds, but uses a clean starch-free process and thus reduces the allergens, making it a free-from supplement desired by more populations.”

Consumers want more than food supplements

The confectionery supplements market has seen a rise in recent years, especially through chocolate and gummy formats.

When ConfectioneryNews reported energy chocolate brand, Energems, was accepted as a member at the Council for Responsible Nutrition in late 2015, the company said it has created a “completely new category,” which brought chocolate to the energy supplement market.

Earlier this year, Canada-based gummy supplement company, Herbland, also developed organic vegan sugar-free protein gummies with four different fruit flavors, according to a recent release.

Consumers are not willing to accept just food supplements, Karlinski said. Instead, they expect the whole package that combines good flavor, fun format and healthy ingredients to enhance their experience of the products.

“In global confectionery, those supplements are no longer just for kids,” he added.

“In 2017, Anlit will continue to develop and improve confectionery food supplements in our current and new dosage forms to offer our clients a full and comprehensive line of products that will accompany them through the cycle of life, from childhood to the baby boomers.”

Maabarot Products is an Israeli public company traded on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange. The group posted a full-year gross profit of NIS 107m ($29m) on September 2016.