Haribo uses dextrin in new fruit gummy to reduce sugar by 30%

German confectioner Haribo has launched three lines of sugar-reduced gummies – Fruitilicious, Sea Friends, and Fruity Penguins – in select European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France.

Fruitilicious are fruit-shaped gummies in pineapple, apple, strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon flavors, while Sea Friends, in the shapes of sea animals, are a fruit gum mix in apple, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, orange and tropical flavors, said the company.

Fruity Penguins, available in apple, blackberry, watermelon, raspberry and tropical flavors, are made from fruit gum and sugar foam.

All these products contain 30% less sugar than Haribo’s conventional fruit gummies, yet meet “the same quality and taste requirements of all Haribo products,” a company’s spokesperson said.

First sugar-reduced gummies for Haribo

Haribo pointed out that these gummies are its first sugar-reduced products. “With these three new products, we are expanding the extensive Haribo product range with an alternative for consumers who put special emphasis on a balanced diet. For instance, parents who care a lot about the sugar content of food,” it said.

“To reduce the amount of sugar, dextrin has been added with no artificial sweeteners. Dextrin is a soluble fiber that is extracted from maize,” the spokesperson explained.

“We have quite deliberately launched these products to gain feedback on the sugar-reduced fruit gum products from our consumers,” Haribo added.

The company said its sugar-reduced gummies are currently not available in the US, and declined to give further details due to operational confidentiality.

It purchased a 137-acre site in Wisconsin last year for $20.7m to build its first North American candy manufacturing plant.