The Sweet and Chewy History of Gummy Bears

Vol 27, Issue 22, 28^th March 2025

Gummy bears are one of the most popular candies in the world, loved by kids as well as adults. This candy is chewy and consists of a wide range of flavors. Let’s take a look at the history and the current journey of this magical candy.

The story of gummy bears began in Germany in the early 20th century. In 1920, Hans Riegel Bonn started a candy company called ‘Haribo’ in order to produce gelatin-based candies. He invented this amazingly flavorful and chewy treat in his company as a result of his creative mindset. Sugar, gelatin, fruit flavors, and citric acid were used as the main ingredients to produce this candy. However, the candy was officially released to the market in 1922 as ‘Tanzbären,’ which means ‘Dancing Bears.’ This new invention gained huge attraction in the German market within a very short period due to its unique chewy texture, unlike hard candies like chocolates. Unfortunately, the business dropped due to the scarcity of sugar and gelatin during World War II. However, in 1960, Haribo bounced back with a refined gummy bear recipe and captured the entire European market in a very short period.

In the 1980s, Haribo officially entered the United States candy market like a nuclear bomb. All other American candy companies were triggered because of this German guest, and they also started to produce their own versions of gummy bears. While the demand for gummy bears skyrocketed, new innovations such as gummy worms, gummy rings, and vitamin-infused gummy supplements also arrived in the American candy market.

The Science Behind the Chewiness

Gummy bears contain gelatin. It is a kind of protein derived from animal collagen. When this gelatin is mixed with hot water and sugar, it gives a gel-like structure that creates gummies their characteristic of chewiness. In modern days, we see some plant-based versions of gummies, produced from pectin (from fruit) or agar-agar (from seaweed).

Gummy bears have become a cultural icon, especially in movies, songs, and TV series over the years. Even Disney produced an animated TV series called ‘The Adventures of the Gummi Bears’ in the 1980s. Nowadays, it has become a popular ingredient in desserts, creative food recipes, as well as cocktails. With their uniqueness compared to other candies in the market, this amazing little thing has marked its iconic, unshakable stability in the candy industry and will stay forever with us.