How Melt-to-Make™ is Reshaping the Gummy Industry
And why real fruit puree is making their customers’ products better
Melt-to-Make™ didn’t set out to reinvent gummy making—but that’s exactly what they did.
The Melt-to-Make™ story is a journey born out of necessity, driven by innovation, and fueled by a desire to solve a common problem in the cannabis industry—producing high quality, all-natural gummies.
In 2018, Heritage Hemp, LLC was founded with a mission to revolutionize the hemp/CBD market. As they dove into creating a diverse range of CBD products, Sarah McLaughlin, a nutritionist and dietitian with a background in food manufacturing, suggested outsourcing gummy production since making gummies from scratch would be challenging and time consuming. Little did they know, this decision would lead them down a winding path of discovery.
Facing roadblocks in outsourcing due to industry regulations, Sarah and her team were forced to embark on a mission to crack the code of perfect gummy creation. Countless hours of research and development later, they emerged with a superior gummy formula and foolproof production methods.
Their success didn't go unnoticed. Other companies clamored for their gummy-making expertise, but the regulatory landscape posed challenges.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Melt-to-Make’s™ cofounder, Tim, grew frustrated with the challenges our sister company faced making consistent gummies. That frustration led to a simple but powerful idea: create a ready-to-use gummy base they could easily customize.
And just like that, Melt-To-Make™ Gummy Base was born. With dedication and ingenuity, Sarah's team crafted a formula designed for easy remelting, paving the way for a new era in gummy production.
Today, Melt-to-Make™ offers shelf-stable, pre-flavored, or unflavored gummy bases in pectin, gelatin, and sugar-free formulas. Their products eliminate the hardest part of gummy manufacturing—getting the base right—and empower makers of all sizes to experiment with ingredients like cannabinoids, adaptogens, or fruit puree. As Chris, the Technical Director at Melt-to-Make puts it: “There are lots of co-packers. But there’s nobody else out there making gummy base like this.”
And that’s where Oregon Fruit comes in.
A Better Gummy Starts with Real Fruit
Although Melt-to-Make™ includes all-natural flavors in their gummy bases, they don’t include fruit purees. Instead, they help customers develop custom formulations using Oregon Fruit aseptic purees—so each gummy reflects the customer’s brand, flavor vision, and clean-label goals.
“Real fruit just makes a better gummy,” says Chris. “It adds natural sweetness, rich flavor, and a softer, juicier texture that you can’t get from natural flavors alone.”
Aseptic fruit puree is especially valuable to their customers because:
- It supports clean-label formulations with no added sugar, colorants, or GMOs
- It’s shelf-stable—no freezer required, which is critical for kitchen efficiency
- It adds authentic flavor and color in a single ingredient
- It’s flexible—usage rates can range from 5% to 15%, depending on pH and fruit type
Whether it’s blackberry for bitterness-masking in THC gummies, or a jammy strawberry rhubarb blend that tastes like pie filling, Melt-to-Make™ helps their customers dial in formulations that pair perfectly with Oregon Fruit’s real fruit profiles.
Behind the Scenes: Formulation Tips from Melt-to-Make™
Chris spends much of his time traveling to customer sites, helping them set up kitchens, optimize workflows, and perfect their flavors. For those looking to work real fruit puree into their gummies, here’s some insight from the Melt-to-Make™ team:
Flavor Pairing
Heavier fruits like blackberry, raspberry, and cherry are best for heavily dosed cannabinoid infusions—they help mask bitter or earthy notes. Citrus can work, but is better suited for lower-dosed products.
Usage Rates & Brix
Matching the brix (sugar level) of the puree to the base shortens cooking time and helps with consistency. A puree with low brix will require longer cook time to evaporate excess moisture.
Shelf Life & Storage
Aseptic puree has huge advantages for both small and large producers—it’s ready to use, doesn’t take up freezer space, and is easy to portion in precise amounts.
The Trends Shaping Functional Gummies
As more consumers reach for “better for you” confections, Melt-to-Make™ is staying ahead of the curve. Some of the trends Chris sees gaining traction:
Sugar-Free Innovation
Their new Sugar-Free Pectin Base uses prebiotic fibers like inulin and tapioca—not sugar alcohols—for a clean taste and added fiber.
Fast-Acting Cannabinoids
With nano particles and emulsified actives that absorb faster, infused gummies are trending toward quicker onset and more social, shorter-lived effects.
Natural Color & Flavor
The FDA has increased scrutiny on artificial colors, and Melt-to-Make™ is all-in on natural alternatives. They have always used natural colors and flavors in their products and adding purees not only adds rich color but helps brands align with clean label expectations.
Scaling Up
While they still offer 10kg cases, Melt-to-Make™ now sells their Pectin Gummy Base in 550kg and soon, 1100kg totes—ideal for medium-to-large manufacturers ready to scale up.
Why Oregon Fruit?
When the Melt-to-Make™ team went looking for a fruit partner, Oregon Fruit stood out.
One of their staff members, originally from the Pacific Northwest, had worked with our purees in fine dining. The team loved that our aseptic purees didn’t require freezing, and that the clean label and consistent quality fit their own standards. “The fruit is awesome,” Chris says. “And the customer service is just as good.”
Today, Melt-to-Make™ customers are using Oregon Fruit purees to create better gummies—juicier, cleaner, and more flavorful.
Looking to Add Real Fruit to Your Gummy Base?
Whether you’re producing gummies, candy, bakery fillings, or frozen treats, Oregon Fruit aseptic purees bring vibrant, authentic flavor with clean label appeal. No artificial colors. No added sugar. Just fruit—and all the flavor it brings.
