Increases in hardness, gumminess and chewiness through drying can be explained by both gelation and dehydration phenomena. The simultaneous actions of both gelling agents on the colloidal system containing sugars, water and other minor components result in the typicalfirm and chewy structure of gelled candies (Burey et al., 2009; Warnecke, 1991). Gelatin gels provide elasticity, while the addition of starch increases the gel strength and hardness of gelatin-based gummy confections (Marfil et al., 2012). Dehydration is another important factor in jelly texturizing. The dehydration rate of jellies is higher at the beginning of drying in the starch mold, when water activity is still high (Sudharsan et al., 2004; Ziegler et al., 2003). Water transfer from jellies to circulating air during drying gradually
reduces their moisture content and increases the content of solids. Candy hardness values were dependent on the solids