I find it fascinating that you can make a gel from an animal product (gelatin), but that you can also reproduce this with a plant product like pectin. Gel structure is not only important for structure, it is essential for preventing the product from distorting, adding flavor, increasing stability, texture, etc. It is really interesting to know that we can easily produce such products. After doing some research, I found three products; Shirataki (tofu) noodles, instant puddings and gummy confections all have gel structures and are quite different from each other. All products are mixed gels, meaning they contain more than one gelling agent. I want to look at the gelation process and how it is illustrated by all three. Interestingly, these three products are quite different from each other and yet they are called gels. I will explore this idea further. All three are considered mixed gels. The structure of the gel is not only important for structure, it is essential for preventing the product from distorting, adding flavor, increasing stability, texture, etc. “Gels can be considered as soft glassy materials where the non-crystalline and random organization within the system induces a metastable state. (Renard2006) I will examine the textures of the three foods and demonstrate how the gels affect them. I am particularly interested in gummy candies and their gel structures. Characterization of gels can be carried out using rheological measurements. They seem so complicated, but they are actually quite simple. I've always been fascinated by confections and how they can have this structure and texture. Gels are very intriguing and it is fascinating to know that a multitude of products are and can be used. The...... middle of paper ......gelling agents and under conditions such as temperature, presence of ions, pH, concentration of gelling agents, etc. Characterization of gels can be carried out using rheological measurements. Interestingly, these three products are quite different from each other and yet they are called gels. I examined the textures of the three foods and demonstrated how the gels affect them. My interest is in gummy candies and their gel structures. This made me want to look at other similar products. I've always been fascinated by confections and how they can have this structure and texture. After studying gel formation, I came to the conclusion that gels are versatile entities in the food industry and there are so many things that can be done with them. These are all things that make gels interesting to discover..