Chewing gum containing erythritol and method of making

Details Chewing gum containing erythritol and method of making Chewing gum containing erythritol and method of making

1996-03-26

2001-07-24

Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

Normally noningestible chewable material or process of...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06264999

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improved compositions of chewing gum. More particularly, the invention relates to improving chewing gum by the use of specific bulking agents in sugar and non-sugar chewing gum products to give improved texture, moisture absorption properties, and improved shelf life properties. The improved chewing gum compositions may also be used in a variety of chewing gum products, such as confectionery coated chewing gum products.
In recent years, efforts have been devoted to replace sugar and sugar syrups normally found in chewing gum with other carbohydrates and noncarbohydrates. Non-sugar or sugar-free chewing gum, which is growing in popularity, uses sugar alcohols or polyols to replace sugar and sugar syrups. The most popular polyols are sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. New polyols are being developed using new technology to replace these polyols. New polyols have various unique properties which can improve the taste, texture and shelf life properties of chewing gum for consumers. The non-sugar polyols have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics.
One such polyol bulking agent is called erythritol. This polyol bulking agent or bulk sweetener is not approved for use in human food products or in chewing gum in the U.S. However, a GRAS affirmation petition for erythritol as a human food ingredient is currently being prepared. Erythritol does not contribute to dental caries, does not significantly contribute to calories and does not cause gastric distress like some other polyols. Thus, this ingredient's use in chewing gum could be a definite improvement.
A chewing gum made with a sweetening agent containing erythritol and a liquid sugar or sugar alcohol is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,550.
A method of reducing dental caries by administering a sugarless chewing gum made with erythritol is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 009 325.
Low-caloric sweetening compositions containing meso-erythritol are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,916 and No. 4,902,525 and Japanese Patent Publications No. 89-225458 and 90-104259. Japanese Patent Publication No. 89-51045 discloses chewing gum made with a melted mixture of mesoerythritol and sugars or sugar alcohols.
A sweetener employing the use of spray dried erythritol is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 497 439.
A sweetening composition made up of erythritol, sorbitol and a glucose oligomer is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 0 511 761.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method of producing chewing gum with a new bulk sweetener, specifically erythritol, as well as the chewing gum so produced. The bulk sweetener may be added to sucrose-type gum formulations, replacing a small or large quantity of sucrose. The formulation may be a low- or high-moisture formulation containing low or high amounts of moisture-containing syrup. The bulk sweetener, erythritol, may also be used in low- or non-sugar gum formulations replacing sorbitol, mannitol, or other polyols. Non-sugar formulations may include low- or high-moisture, sugar-free chewing gums.
The bulk sweetener, erythritol, may be combined with other bulk sweeteners for use in chewing gum, including but not limited to sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, maltodextrin and xylose, as well as sugar alcohols including but not limited to sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, lactitol and Lycasin brand hydrogenated starch hydrolysate. The bulk sweetener, erythritol, may be combined in the gum formulation or co-dried or blended with the other bulk sweeteners prior to use in the gum formulation. Co-drying may be done by various methods of spray drying, fluid bed coating, coacervation and other granulating or agglomerating techniques. The bulk sweetener, erythritol, may also be combined with high-intensity sweeteners including, but not limited to, thaumatin, aspartame, acesulfame K, sodium saccharin, glycyrrhizin, alitame, cyclamate, stevioside, sucralose and dihydrochalcones.
This sweetener, erythritol, when used according to the present invention, gives chewing gum an improved texture, an improved shelf life and a unique flavor/sweetness quality. Even though erythritol has some properties like sucrose, it is not cariogenic, and does not significantly contribute to calories, giving a highly consumer-acceptable chewing gum product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
All percentages herein are weight percentages unless otherwise specified. The term “chewing gum” also includes bubble gum and the like.
Erythritol material is obtained by fermenting glucose with specially selected yeast strains in appropriate aqueous nutrient media or by treating an aqueous alkali carbonate solution of 2-buten-1,4-diol with chlorine and saponifying the resulting chlorohydrin.
Erythritol is a polyol that has a sweetness level of about 75% of that of sucrose. Erythritol is available as a powder, has good storage stability, and has a melting point of about 119° C. A syrup may be formed at concentrations below 40%, the maximum solubility of erythritol at room temperature. At high temperatures, higher concentrations may be used.
Erythritol may be added to chewing gum in its solid or syrup form. Erythritol may be used in chewing gum as a texture and flavor modifier, bulking agent, and may improve texture, flavor and shelf life properties. Erythritol may replace solids like sucrose, dextrose, lactose, sorbitol or mannitol when used in its powder form, or may replace syrups when used in its liquid or syrup form. At levels of about 0.5% to about 25%, erythritol may replace part of the bulk sweeteners in sugar gum or, as a liquid, all or part of the syrup in sugar gum. At higher levels of about 25% to about 90% of the gum formulation, erythritol may replace all of the bulk sweeteners in a chewing gum formulation.
Unique chewing gum formulations can be obtained when all bulk sweeteners are replaced with erythritol powder and syrup. The relatively low sweetness intensity allows for use of unique flavor combinations, such as the use of savory and snack flavors. High-intensity sweeteners may be added to increase sweetness to obtain more typical chewing gum formulations. Chewing gum formulations with high levels of erythritol would be softer and less hygroscopic than sugar-containing gum formulations. Chewing gum formulations with erythritol may contain a very low amount of moisture in the gum formulation, i.e., below about 2%, or may contain a medium amount of moisture, about 2-5%, and may even be a soft gum formulation containing 5% moisture or more.
Although erythritol has properties like sucrose, and since it is a polyol, it may be used in chewing gum formulations containing non-sugar ingredients. Non-sugar ingredients are polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, maltitol, lactitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysate. These polyols are used in a variety of combinations to develop unique sugarless chewing gum formulations. Erythritol may be used to replace the individual polyols or combinations of polyols. With partial replacement of one or more polyols, erythritol can be used at levels of about 0.5-25%. If erythritol replaces a large amount or most of the polyols, this level may be about 25% to about 90% of the gum formulation.
Some sugar-free chewing gum formulations contain high levels of glycerin and are very low in moisture, i.e., less than about 2%. Erythritol, solids or syrup, may replace part or all of the glycerin used in these types of formulations. At higher moisture levels (more than 2%) in sugar-free gum, a liquid sorbitol (70% sorbitol, 30% water) is used. Erythritol solids or erythritol syrup may replace part or all of the sorbitol liquid. Sugar-free syrups like hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (HSH), such as Lycasin brand HSH, may also be replaced in part or totally by erythritol solids or syrup. The same product advantages found with hydrogenated starch hydrolysate s

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