Common Gummy Shapes for Your Pharmaceuticals

The gummy vitamins and supplements market is a billion-dollar industry that is only expected to continue growing steadily over the next few years. As this medium becomes a preferred option for many consumers, more brands are seeking ways to reach them.

Whether you are looking to introduce a line of gummy vitamins and supplements to your product range or want to revamp your current offering, choosing the right shape for your gummy can help in its success on store shelves. To help you get started, we are going to cover some common gummy shapes and offer some insights into their usefulness when combined with pharmaceutical active ingredients.

First, let’s begin with arguably the most recognizable shape: the gummy bear.

Gummy Bear

The first gummy bear was introduced by the world-famous Haribo company in 1922. Fast forward a century and this shape continues to dominate the confectionery industry while remaining a popular choice for vitamins and supplements as well.

Beyond the familiar appearance of bear-shaped gummies, they also have an enjoyable texture and respond well to both tougher and softer formulas. If you decide to use a Haribo-inspired bear shape for your pharmaceutical gummies, you can benefit from near-instant product recognition on the shelf.

However, because gummy bears are often used as a shape for candies, be mindful of your packaging. We recommend that you boldly and clearly state that your product is a vitamin or supplement on its packaging to avoid any potential confusion.

Gummy Worm

Arguably the second most recognizable shape for gummies is the long, rope-like worm. These are often popular with young consumers for their larger size compared to gummy bears and their more chewy texture.

However, manufacturing gummy worms at consistent sizes can often be a challenge. Due to their elongated form, it could also prove difficult to ensure that active ingredients are properly distributed throughout a single piece. As a result, it is typically not recommended that worms be used as a shape for pharmaceutical gummies.

Gummy Fruit

There’s something about the shape of a gummy bear that just screams “fun.” And when it comes to vitamins and supplements, consumers are looking for products that are both effective and enjoyable to take. That’s one of the reasons why fruit-shaped gummies have become so popular in the supplement industry.

Not only do fruits make for an excellent shape for gummy vitamins and supplements, but they’re also incredibly versatile. You can find fruit-shaped gummies in all sorts of colors, flavors, and sizes, making them perfect for any type of supplement.
Another notable advantage of gummy fruits is that manufacturers can match a flavor with a shape. For example, if you are selling an orange-flavored vitamin C supplement, you can design it to appear like an orange slice which will clearly state to the consumer what it will taste like.

Gummy Bottles

Another shape popularized by Haribo, the gummy bottle shape recreates the silhouette of a soda bottle and is often flavored to emulate the taste of a soda, such as cola. However, they can be flavored to match any preference.

Bottles are an easy shape to use for gummy vitamins and supplements. They feature a scalable design that is relatively uniform in its dimensions.

Gummy Rings

Ring-shaped gummies are probably most associated with the Lifesaver confections brand as well as the endless number of brands selling sugar-coated, fruit-flavored varieties. Most commonly, peach-flavored rings are the most instantly recognizable.

Gummy rings can be created with a simple mold that can feature a broader, flatter shape or one that is more tightly packed. This familiar shape is also sure to gain consumer recognition quickly on a store shelf.

Gumdrops

Another classic shape that has never lost its appeal is the gumdrop. These are small, rounded pieces that are often pectin-based and do not have any particular defining shape. Some are designed like half-circles, while others could feature a more half-oval appearance.

Gumdrop molds are simple and easy to fill. Like fruit and bear shapes, they are another decades-old design that can be easily recognized by many.

Custom Shapes

When traditional shapes are not suitable for your manufacturing needs, a custom-made gummy mold might provide the solution you are looking for. As an example, if you are working with a licensed property such as a children’s cartoon for a line of vitamin gummies, you may desire a mold that can create unique, proprietary designs.

Should you decide that you need a custom mold, start by asking your equipment manufacturer if they offer this service. They will be able to provide you with a new mold that is designed to function seamlessly with their equipment to ensure greater product quality.

Get High-Performing Gummy Molds Today

As a subsidiary of CapPlus Technologies, the world’s leading innovator in pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, our team at Gummy Technologies applies this same standard for performance and quality to our gummy production equipment trusted by countless brands to create their own vitamins and supplements.

As part of our commitment to outfit pharmaceutical manufacturers with the highest-quality production solutions available, we also possess the capabilities to create standard and custom gummy molds for you. The process is simple, and it will result in a new shape that can integrate easily with your Gummy Technologies equipment.

To learn more about our solutions, check out our range of gummy equipment or contact us today to speak with someone from our team.