###### Abstract  
The aim of the study was to produce gel beads under continuous conditions. Pectins obtained from black and red currants and commercial apple pectin were used as the material. For the production of gel beads, a self-designed device was used. The designed device allows for the production of gel beads in a continuous process, the properties of which are similar to those obtained in the classic, batch process. Thanks to the device, it is possible to obtain a repeatable product while reducing the workload. The produced gel beads were tested for water absorption and textural properties. The water absorption of the obtained gel capsules is strongly influenced by the pectin chain structure. Pectin beads obtained from currant pectins have a less hard structure and are more sensitive to deformation than those from apple pectin. Shorter and more branched chains of currant pectin than apple pectin form gels with a delicate structure, which strongly absorbs water, and unlike apple pectin gel, it disintegrates. The results show that the use of raw material obtained from different sources allows for obtaining products with various properties, using the same method; moreover, the used device is fully scalable and can be used in large scale. continuous process device; external gelation; redcurrant; blackcurrant; gel beads; swelling Article The Effect of Pectin Branching on the Textural and Swelling Properties of Gel Beads Obtained during Continuous External Gelation Process  
[PERSON], [PERSON], A. The Effect of PectinAverage molecular mas of pectin range from 150 kDa to 1020 kDa, and depends both on the botanical origin and the isolation method. Due to the specific structure of the chain, these polysaccharides are able to form gels, which strength is determined by the average molecular weight, galacturonic acid content, chain structure as well as the degree of substitution of acid groups [2]. According to studies [3] the gelation is due to the association of sequences of galacturonate residues for pectin, which are linked di-axially along the chain. The presence of non-esterified acid residues promotes gelling in the presence of divalent ions, e.g., Ca\({}^{2+}\), which results in the formation of the structure described by the egg-box model [2; 3; 4; 5]. In the case of pectins with an average molecular mass above 300 kDa, the formed gels are characterized by a dense, compact structure, which determines their high mechanical strength, including breaking strength [6; 7]. The presence of simple sugars in the branched structure of pectins may negatively affect gelation, they constitute a hindrance to the formation of bonds between acid residues and Ca\({}^{2+}\) ions [8]. The degree of esterification of acid residues (DM) has a strong influence on the gelling capacity of pectins. Pectins with low DM (DM \(<\) 50%) most often form gels of high hardness, due to their ability to interact with divalent ions [2; 5]. Ionotropic gelation involves the cross-lining of chains with divalent ions. The process may be carried out in two ways: internal or external gelation [2]. Internal gelation consists of mixing a polymer solution with a slightly soluble salt; this mixture is then acidified in order to gradually release calcium ions, and gelling occurs in the entire volume of the mixture [5; 9; 10]. On the other hand, in the external gelation process, a polymer solution is added (usually dropwise) to a solution containing easily soluble calcium salts (e.g., calcium chloride); due to the high availability of calcium ions, gelation occurs almost immediately [4; 7; 11; 12; 13; 14]. The external gelation method allows to obtain a stronger gel with a more compact structure than internal gelation; moreover, it occurs much faster, and therefore it is used in the production of small particles, gel beads, while internal gelation is used to produce gels with larger dimensions [2; 10].