The Technology of Hard Candy

Walter Vink
Resident Course in Confectionery Technology

HARD CANDY WHAT IS IT??

HARD CANDY
Definitions

*An organic glass *An amorphous solid *A supersaturated solution of sugars *A highly concentrated solution of sugars

HARD CANDY TYPES

Drops, Rolled, Sticks, Lollypops Ribbon Brittles Toffees Balls, Starlights LifeSavers, Jolly Rancher Novelties, Candy canes solid & filled

INGREDIENTS

Candy Base
Sugar ingredients

Sugar: sucrose Glucose syrup: corn or potato Invert sugar: dextrose, fructose

PROPERTIES OF HARD CANDY AS A FUNCTION OF SUGAR/CORN SYRUP RATIO 100% 100% CORN SYRUP SUCROSE

super highly saturated <----------------------> concentrated very low sweet <--------------------------> sweetness high low flavor <-----------------------------> flavor release release grain <------------------------------> cold flow high low machinability <-----------------> machinability

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Candy Base
Other ingredients

Acidulants Colors Flavors Fats Milk products Fruit Juice

SELECTION OF A HARD CANDY BASE

Type of End Product Desired Type of Cooking Process to be used Type of Packaging Desired Flavor Impact and Identity Economics

CARBOHYDRATE PROFILE
60/40 SUGAR/CORN SYRUP BASE

MONO SAC. DI SAC. TRI. TETRA+

REG.42 DE Percent composition 8.0 66.0 4.8 21.2

CARBOHYDRATE PROFILE
60/40 SUGAR/CORN SYRUP BASE

PERCENT COMPOSITION 42 HIMALT 42 ACID MONO DI TRI TETRA 8.0 66.0 4.8 21.2 3.2 77.6 5.2 14.0

PROCESSING

BOILING POINT OF SUCROSE SOLUTIONS

340 320
TEMPERATURE

300 280 260 240 220 200 40 50 60 70 80 PERCENT SOLIDS 90 100

BOILING POINT OF SUCROSE SOLUTIONS

180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 40
TEMPERATURE, Deg.C

50

60 70 80 PERCENT SOLIDS

90

100

EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON
BOILING POINT OF WATER
212
BOILING POINT DEG.F.

210 208 206 204 202 200 198 196 500 2000 3500 5000 ALTITUDE IN FT. 6500 8000

HARD CANDY PROCESSING

COOKING

TYPE GAS FIRED SIMPLEX SEMI-CONTIN.

OPERATOR 1 PER KETTLE

LBS/HR 100

1 PER 2 KETTLES 640 1 PER UNIT 3000

UNIVERSAL BATCH COOKER

SEMI-CONTINUOUS COOKER

Continuous cooker

RECOMMENDED MINIMUM CORN SYRUP LEVELS

acid converted 42DE syrup

Gas fired open cook Simplex cooker Universal Cooker Semi-continuous cooker Fully Continuous cooker Microfilm cooker

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

ROTARY DIE FORMER

CHAIN DIE FORMER

CENTER FILLING

KEY PROCESS REACTIONS

REACTIONS DURING PROCESSING

INVERSION: Sucrose + Acid + heat---> Dextrose + Fructose REVERSION: Monosaccharides + Acid + heat---> Polymers

FINISHED PRODUCT REACTIONS

DYNAMICS OF SUGAR HARD CANDY

GRAINING: WET GRAIN DRY GRAIN COLD FLOW

FINISHED PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES

PTOTAL REDUCING SUGARS (D.E)

PFINISHED MOISTURE CONTENT

SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY

Sugar-free Hard Candy Base

Sugar-free Ingredients

PSorbitol: hydrogenated dextrose PMaltitol Syrup: hydrogenated corn syrup PIsomalt: hydogenated sucrose isomer PLactitol: hydrogenated lactose PPolydextrose: reversion product of dextrose

U.S. CALORIC VALUE OF BULK SUGAR REPLACERS

SWEETENER SUCROSE HSH MALTITOL SORBITOL XYLITOL LACTITOL ISOMALT POLYDEXTROSE ERYTHRITOL CALORIES/GRAM 4.0 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.0 1.0 0.26

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF SUGAR-FREE BULK FILLERS

SORBITOL SUCROSE ANALOG XYLITOL SUCROSE ANALOG LACTITOL SUCROSE ANALOG ISOMALT SUCROSE ANALOG MALTITOL SUCROSE ANALOG MALTITOL SYRUP CORN SYRUP ANALOG POLY DEXTROSE CORN SYRUP ANALOG +CALORIE REDUCTION ERYTHRITOL CALORIE REDUCTION

SOME MYTHS ABOUT SUGARFREE HARD CANDY

SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY IS LESS STABLE THAN SUGAR HARD CANDY! IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REMOVE ALL WATER FROM SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY! SUGAR-FREE IS MORE DIFFICULT TO PROCESS THAN SUGAR HARD CANDY

SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY IS LESS STABLE THAN SUGAR HARD CANDY

ISOMALT HARD CANDY IS MORE STABLE THAN VIRTUALLY ALL SUGAR HARD CANDIES. 100% HSH CANDY HAS THE SAME STABILITY AS 100% CORN SYRUP HARD CANDY. LACTITOL HARD CANDY IS AT LEAST AS STABLE AS SUGAR HARD CANDY.

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REMOVE ALL WATER FROM SUGAR -FREE HARD CANDY

THIS GENERALIZATION IS INCORRECT. COMMON THINKING FOR SORBITOL HARD CANDY FOR YEARS WAS "THE DRIER THE BETTER". DISCOVERING THAT THERE WAS A MINIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT OF 2% TO FACILITATE RAPID SETTING PROVED THAT POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS ARE DIFFERENT FROM SUGAR IN THAT THEY HAVE UNIQUE STRUCTURES.

SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY IS MORE DIFFICULT TO PROCESS THAN SUGAR

THIS GENERALIZATION IS NOT TRUE! THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN COOK TEMPERATURE AND VISCOSCITY WHICH REQUIRE ADJUSTMENTS BUT WHEN ADDRESSED POSE NO MAJOR PROBLEMS. IN SOME RESPECTS SUGAR-FREE BASES ARE EASIER TO PROCESS DUE TO

SOME KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUGAR AND SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDY

PSugar candy is more sensitive to high temperature. PSugar candy is subject to browning. PSucrose candy is subject to inversion. PSugar candy is subject to reversion at high temperature. PSucrose will decompose atmospherically above 312 degrees F.

KEY DIFFERENCES
PSugar-free candies are heat stable. PSugar-free candies are not affected by acid but high temperature exposure of acids may cause problems due to the breakdown of the acid. PSugar-free candy bases are generally lower in viscosity at high temperatures

KEY DIFFERENCES Contd.

PSugar-free candies usually incorporate an intense sweetener to compensate for the reduced sweetness of the base.

KEY SIMILARITIES OF SUGAR AND SUGAR-FREE HARD CANDIES

P The same mechanisms of graining and cold-flow apply in storage, however not necessarily under the same conditions. P P They require similar packaging structures for the same reasons. * Protection against moisture transfer. P Processing environmental conditions are a function of the finished product's equilibrium relative

EQUILIBRIUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY

ERH vs MOISTURE FOR A Dp2 CANDY

50 40 30 20 10 0

0.5

1.5

2 2.5 3 % MOISTURE

3.5

4.5

VAPOR PRESSURE H2O,mm Hg.

CANDY AT 29%ERH, ROOM AT 20 Deg.C, 50% RH

VAPOR PRESSURE H2O,mm Hg.

30 25 20 15 10 5 25

30 25 20 15 10 5

30

35 40 45 50 CANDY TEMPERATURE, DEG.C.

30 35 CANDY TEMPERATURE, DEG.C. 40

5 0 50 15 20 30 40 50 CANDY TEMPERATURE, DEG.C. CANDY TEMPERATURE, DEG.C.

30
VAPOR PRESSURE H2O,mm Hg.

25 20 15 10 5 25 45 50

5 25 30 35 40 45 50 CANDY TEMPERATURE,
30
VAPOR PRESSURE H2O,mm Hg.

25 20 15 10 5 25 30 35 40 CANDY TEMPERATURE, DEG.C. 45 50

Hg. H2O,mm VAPOR PRESSURE Hg. H2O,mm VAPOR PRESSURE

30 25 30 20 15

25

10 20

10

FUNCTIONAL HARD CANDIES

PRACTICAL CAPACITIES FOR HARD CANDY PRODUCTS

UNFILLED - POST COOKING

SOLIDS: LIQUIDS: Batch Process: w/o sorbent carrier with sorbent carrier Continuous Process:

4%

0.3% 0.7% 0.5%

PRACTICAL CAPACITIES FOR HARD CANDY PRODUCTS Contd.

CENTER FILLED

ROTARY DIE FORMER: CHAIN DIE FORMER: DEPOSITED:

25% 35% 25%

KEY ACTIVE/BASE INTERACTIONS

<OXIDATION/REDUCTION REACTIONS: Eg: Vitamin C loss of potency. <SCHIFF ACID BASE REACTIONS: Eg: Benzocaine/Benzaldhyde reaction in presence of citric acid. <HYDROLYSIS: Eg: Breakdown of asprin to acetic acid, inversion of sugar caused by early addition of Vitamin C.

<THERMAL DEGRADATION:

HARD CANDY
THE U.S. MARKET 2001

PPackage& Rolled PCough Drops PChristmas/seasonal PSugar-free PTOTAL

$ 357.5 Mil. $ 357.6 Mil. $ $ 40.0 Mil. Est. 24.2 Mil.

$ 779.1 Million