Royal Avebe has won the Ingredients Innovation category at the World Confectionery Awards 2026 with PerfectaGEL®, a potato starch portfolio that able to cut gummy drying times from a maximum of 72 hours to as little as 3. The award was presented at the World Confectionery Conference in London on 10 September.
Drying is one of the hidden constraint on gummy manufacturing. Starch-based and plant-based gummies typically need 36 to 72 hours in the drying cabinet, and for most producers that cabinet, not the depositor, not the mixer, sets the ceiling on total factory output.
Every hour of drying is energy burned, capital tied up and CO₂ emitted.
For manufacturers moving away from gelatin, the problem compounds: matching gelatin’s texture is difficult, and matching its production efficiency has been harder still.
Avebe’s technical experts have successfully worked on 2 solutions:
- PerfectaGEL®ISET — instant-setting potato starch. Drying from up to 72 hours to as little as 3. The first starch proven in both traditional starch moulding and rigid starchless moulds, and stable across pH, which finally makes fortified vegan gummies practical.
- PerfectaGEL®FS — add around 1% into your existing recipe. Up to 50% less drying time or temperature. No reformulation, no equipment changes.
Marco Overdulve, Sales Manager Food EMEA at Royal Avebe said, “This award recognises an innovation that addresses one of confectionery manufacturing’s biggest hidden challenges. PerfectaGEL® helps manufacturers reduce drying time, save energy and create new opportunities for plant-based gummies, all without compromising on texture quality.”
