1. Definition

2. Classification

2.1 Classification by Form

• Gel Jelly: Presents a gel-like form and can basically maintain its original shape after forming.
• Suckable Jelly: Presents a semi-fluid gel-like form, and the contents can be sucked with a straw after being poured out of the packaging container.

2.2 Classification by Product Ingredient Characteristics

• Fruit-flavored Jelly: Low fruit juice content, mainly relying on food essence to provide flavor.
• Fruit Juice Jelly: Added with fruit juice or pulp, and the total content of original fruit juice (pulp) must be marked.
• Fruit Pulp Jelly: Added with fruit pieces or grains, and the total content of fruit pulp must be marked.
• Milk-containing Jelly: Added with milk or dairy products, and its protein content is not less than 1.0%.
• Other Types of Jelly: Jelly other than the above types, such as coffee-flavored jelly, tea-flavored jelly, functional jelly, etc.

3. Jelly Production Process Flow

4. Key Control Points in Jelly Production

• Gel Dissolution: The colloid must be dry-mixed with a sufficient amount of granulated sugar first, then added to cold water for dispersion and swelling to prevent the formation of insoluble gel clusters (fish eyes) and ensure uniform glue solution.
• Acid Adjustment (Most Critical): Acidulants (such as citric acid) must be added when the glue solution is cooled to below 70℃ (usually 60-65℃). Adding acid at high temperature will cause colloid hydrolysis, seriously damage the gel strength, and result in soft and watery products.
• Sterilization and Cooling: After sealing, pasteurization (such as 85-95℃, 20min) should be adopted to kill pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria. After sterilization, it must be quickly cooled to below 40℃ immediately to terminate the thermal process, prevent the growth of thermophilic bacteria and promote gel setting.
• Sealing Tightness: The seal must be tight and free of leakage, otherwise secondary pollution will occur during subsequent sterilization and cooling, leading to product mold.

5. Timing of Essence Addition in Jelly

• Essence Addition Process: Added after gel boiling, in the later stage of blending and before filling, when the temperature of the glue solution is as low as possible.
• Temperature Control: After the colloid, sugar and other raw materials are boiled at high temperature and completely dissolved, cool the glue solution to below 70℃ (usually 60-65℃), then add the essence, stir evenly and fill immediately.

6. Basic Principles for Selecting Essence for Jelly

• Generally, edible sweet flavor essence is selected: The company’s edible sweet water-based essence and water-oil dual-purpose essence are suitable for flavoring in jelly. The company’s water-oil dual-purpose essence is preferred as the first choice for jelly essence. Usually, jelly has low requirements on the temperature resistance of essence.
• Recommended Dosage of Essence for Jelly: 0.1%～0.15%

7. Common Product Quality Problems and Main Causes in Jelly Enterprises

• Water Separation (Dehydration Shrinkage): The most common problem. The main reason is improper colloid ratio or too high acid addition temperature (>70℃), leading to unstable gel network structure and poor water-locking capacity; excessive sterilization intensity or slow cooling can also damage the structure.
• Insufficient Gel Strength (Too Soft, Shapeless): Insufficient colloid dosage or quality deterioration; colloid degradation caused by too high acid addition temperature; insufficient potassium/calcium ion content in raw materials, which cannot effectively promote gelation.
• Microbial Contamination (Mold, Bulging): Mainly due to loose sealing, which sucks in contaminated air or cooling water during the cooling process; followed by incomplete sterilization or improper hygiene control.
• Bubbles and Impurities: Incomplete degassing, or impurities brought by uncleaned pipelines and equipment.
• Poor Flavor: Volatilization caused by too high essence addition temperature; imbalance of sweet and sour ratio.

8. Recommended High-Quality Essence Products for Jelly of the Company