Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Chewing gum type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-01-16
Rose, Shep K. (Department: 1614)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Chewing gum type
C424S440000, C424S489000, C424S490000, C426S003000, C426S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174514
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a chewing gum composition, and more particularly, to a breath freshening chewing gum with encapsulated flavors and actives having both instant and long range breath freshening capacity. The invention also relates to breath-freshening encapsulations for use with various confectionery carriers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Malodorous breath has been a personal hygiene issue for many years. Food particles and other matter which linger in the area of the mucous membranes and between the teeth and gums contribute significantly to this odor problem. Another primary cause of bad odor are the emanaton of various sulfur compounds from the body. Sulfur is generated in the digestive tract as a result of the breakdown of various high-sulfur foods, and is released from the body through the mouth and pores of the individual. Certain food substances, such as garlic and onions, are notorious for generating the sulfur compounds which cause the foul odor. Garlic eaters typically note a considerable amount of belching and burping for several hours after consumption. As the garlic is digested in the abdominal tract, bursts of gas are generated, and with it comes a rather disagreeable smell. With each release of air from the stomach comes a noticeable amount of disagreeable smell as the garlic is dissolved in the digestive tract. Other substances such as tobacco and alcohol also affect a person's oral hygiene as these substances tend to linger around the mucous membranes inside the mouth.
Currently, much breath freshening technology provides freshening protection up to about 30 minutes or so in the mouth. Candies or mints are dissolved by the user to mask the odor of food, tobacco or medicine. Once the candy is fully dissolved, however, breath protection often drops off considerable. Within a few minutes, bad odor can again be perceived emanating from the mouth. Chewing gums have been utilized to afford longer range freshening, but typically the active breath protection ingredient is masticated away rather quickly from the gum.
Several substances have now established roles as breath fresheners in the chewing gum and confectionery industries. These include many metallic ions, as well as organic substances such as the oil derived from cardamon seeds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,427 is directed to a cardamon seed preparation which is effective against bad breath. Mushroom extract as an active agent is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,470. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,214 a combination of zinc ions and ionone/ketone terpene derivatives is set forth. Terpene compounds are also set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,163. German Patent documents 3,610,179 and 3,733,742 are also directed to breath freshening formulations. Many of these substances concentrate their action in the stomach by neutralizing or masking foul-smelling sulfur compounds.
Unfortunately, many of the substances recognized as breath stabilizers are also relatively volatile and therefore present storage stability problems in such delivery mechanisms as chewing gum. In addition, many breath fresheners react quite readily with one another, thereby reducing their overall breath-freshening capacity rather quickly over time. It is this neutralization problem, as well as the aforesaid volatilization of the actives upon exposure to ambient conditions, that has heretofore inhibited the development of a truly long-lasting breath-protection gum product.
Certain references, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,917 and 5,556,652, are directed to formulations which seek to encapsulate certain ingredients for use in chewing gums. However, these references fail to suggest a number of encapsulations which would be particularly effective as breath fresheners. Moreover, there appears to be no teaching as to how the skilled artisan could combine rather disparate groups of breath freshening substances into a single chewing gum, while maintaining their effectiveness. In addition, these references evince little or no recognition of the enhanced effect certain encapsulations, as well as combinations thereof, can have on the breath freshening capability of a chewing gum composition.
What is therefore needed in the art is an improved chewing gum for breath freshening which affords the user both instant and long-range breath protection, even after the gum is removed from the mouth. Also needed are breath-freshening encapsulations which can be incorporated into gums, candies and mints etc. to afford enhanced breath protection from both the mouth and the stomach. Additionally, new formulations which can be incorporated in the aforesaid encapsulations are also needed for use in a breath-freshening gum product and other delivery vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a chewing gum composition for instant and extended release breath freshening. The chewing gum composition has a gum base which is masticated by the user. Combined with the gum base are at least one wetting agent and at least one immediate release flavor ingredient. The immediate release flavor ingredient initiates the breath freshening action in the mouth and its effect is quickly sensed by the user. In a preferred embodiment, the chewing gum composition also includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of emulsifiers. Also included in the chewing gum composition is at least one encapsulation selected from the group consisting of flavor encapsulations, metallic ion encapsulations, and organic substance encapsulations. As hereinafter described, these encapsulations provide for longer range protection from malodorous substances in both the mouth and the stomach.
Also provided as part of the invention are various encapsulations which can deliver breath protection in a wide range of carriers, including candy, gum and mints.
It has now been discovered that breath freshening flavors and ingredients can be made to remain fairly dormant and thus storage stable in a chewing gum composition until released via mastication by the consumer. By means of a unique system of encapsulation a multitude of these substances may be combined into a gum base. The encapsulation is so pervasive and extensive that continued chewing action by the user over a substantial period of time is required to “burst” or release all the active breath protection ingredients from the gum matrix. Thus, these ingredients can be delivered in a controlled mode over an extended period. In addition, by encapsulating the active breath freshening substances, their taste can be masked and their unintended neutralization as a result of undesirable interaction with one another can also be significantly reduced. Encapsulation of both flavors and active substances furthermore permits their entry into the stomach (via swallowing) to initiate secondary breath protection, thereby contributing to longer range breath freshening as sulfur compounds in the gut are neutralized. In this way, encapsulation allows for breath freshening over a substantially longer period of time than has been typically achieved in the art. Moreover, as the active substances of the composition of the invention are released into the stomach their neutralization of various malodorous sulfur compounds helps to reduce odor which would otherwise emanate from the pores of an individual. Overall body odor is thereby reduced as well.
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Chau Tommy L.
Cherukuri Subraman R.
Khurana Amrik L.
Schaller, Jr. Martin K.
Strait Matthew J.
Fuisz Technologies Ltd.
Levis John F.
Rose Shep K.
Schmidt Richard D.
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