Ingestibles possessing intrinsic color change

Details Ingestibles possessing intrinsic color change Ingestibles possessing intrinsic color change

2000-06-23

2003-08-19

Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical

C424S464000, C424S467000, C424S049000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06607744

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of this invention is ingestibles having informative characteristics.
BACKGROUND
Foods, beverages, medications and a variety of edible products with intrinsic color change properties can find a multitude of uses for manufacturers and consumers alike. They can be developed and marketed for entertainment purposes, such as graphics on the surface of food, which change color giving rise to a visual effect that is both pleasing and interesting for children. A variety of new food categories can be produced to contain the chromic material. Food producers are in need of new means to differentiate brands, extend product lines, advertise and promote, and create new product lines. Generally, food developers are limited to new flavors, colors, presentations, packaging, and combinations for product differentiation. Entirely new categories of foods, beverages, and medications can be created by introducing a new intrinsic property during processing.
Color changes may release or expose hidden messages which can be used for promotional or marketing purposes. Color changes can visually signal the consumer when the food is “done” just right and safe to eat or that the food is still in the process of being cooked. Color changes can be used to communicate optically with a cooking instrument telling the cooking instrument the level of doneness through a bar code change.
Color change foods can indicate to consumers or institutions that the food offered is sterile due to its color at purchase. Subsequent changes in color could indicate that the food has become stale. Safe food storage temperatures can be indicated by the food or beverage directly where a color change indicates that the food was held at an inappropriate temperature for a period of time. The color change can be used to signal the timely release of a certain nutrient or flavor into the food. The chromic change can also be used to communicate the nature of food to be consumed. For example, chromic change agents can tell the consumer how “hot” a hot sauce really is, the fat content of certain foods, the level of carbonation in soft drinks, or the level of a biological or chemical in a food, such as caffeine or allergens.
Certain spices and other foods should be irradiated with high energy sources to ensure that potential bacterial contamination has been eliminated, thereby protecting the consumer. Foods containing a chromic agent which indicates a color change upon irradiation can communicate to the consumer or the food processor that proper irradiation has taken place.
Prior Art
Prior art of interest includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,859,538; 5,144,112; 5,156,810; 5,189,281; 5,273,360; 5,415,999; 5,685,641; 5,788,375; 5,918,981; and 6,046,455.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Environmentally responsive components are intrinsically associated with ingestibles, such as foods, beverages and medicaments, to be consumed as part of the ingestible, while providing knowledge of an informative or entertaining character. Specifically, physiologically acceptable chromic materials, e.g. polymerized polyacetylenes are associated with the ingestible, so as to be consumed by the user. The chromic material changes color in response to various environmental clues, such as temperature, pH, radiation, physical stress, etc.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Ingestibles are provided comprising a chromic material, which changes color in response to environmental cues. The color indicating material can be processed directly into the ingestible, coated on the surface, released in a timely manner, or be made to be exposed through a discrete color change triggering process. The chromic materials are physiologically acceptable, particularly polymerized polyacetylenes, which can be incorporated with the ingestible during or after processing. Only a small amount of the chromic material need be incorporated, where the chromic material may be suffused through the ingestible, partially penetrate the ingestible or primarily be an adherent coating on the ingestible. The ingestible is porous or liquid, so that the chromic composition, by itself or in conjunction with an edible carrier, interpenetrates the ingestible, where the penetration may be throughout the ingestible, a limited depth into the ingestible, or into the surface to provide an adherent surface.
A variety of color change triggering processes can be employed to cause the color change depending on the type of chemistry involved, such as temperature, pH changes, changes in ionic strength, mechanical changes such as stress or pressure during mixing or contortion, chemical changes such as the addition of a second component, exposure to light for a photochromic effect, biochemical reactions such as binding pair interaction, solvent environment changes, hydration or dehydration, solvent changes, and enzymatic changes where enzymes in the food can induce a change.
Diacetylenic and polydiacetylenic compounds can be produced in a multitude of forms or substituents for compatibility and functionality with foods, beverages and medications. The diacetylenic group can be modified with lipid-like groups for solid phase or liquid phase compatibility, carbohydrates, sugars, polar and apolar groups, functional groups such as amines, carboxylic acids, alcoholic groups, esters, amides, charge complexes, aliphatic groups, ethers, polyethers, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, mesogenic side chains, sulfhydryl groups, block co-polymers and other groups which can be used to create specifically desired characteristics. Compositions can be prepared having up to about 20 weight % of the polydiacetylenic polymer for coating, which compositions further comprise carbohydrates, lipids or other physiologically acceptable composition.
By ingestibles is intended compositions that are taken orally, even though they may not be digested. Therefore, ingestibles include foods, medicaments, toothpaste, mouth washes, gargles, swabs, and the like, where the food is introduced into the mouth and may then be rejected or may reside in the mouth for a limited period of time. Since foods are the primary application of the subject invention, foods will be discussed as illustrative of ingestibles generally.
The diacetylenic compounds or chromic agents present, whether monomers or polymers, in the composition added to the ingestible will generally be present in at least 1 weight %, more usually at least about 5 weight %, and may be 75 weight % or more, usually being not more than about 60 weight %.
Monomer chemistries: Classes of photochromic, thermochromic, hydrochromic, lipochromic, and physiochromic polymers can be made from a variety of organic diacetylenic monomers including short chain molecules with no side chains or substituents, short chain molecules containing one or more functional groups and aliphatic monomers that vary in length from 10 carbon units to 50 or more carbon units with or without various functional side chains or substituents. Molecules can be hydrophobic or hydrophilic depending on the desired application. They can be neutral or charged in order to create a desired intermolecular or intramolecular effect. The molecule can be non-polar, mono-polar, or multi-polar. Diacetylenic monomers can be symmetric or asymmetric. For food grade applications, the monomer and subsequent polymer molecules can contain food compatible groups including sugars, lipid chains, carbohydrate moieties, amino acids, peptides, proteins, complex proteins, effector groups, esters, alcoholic groups, amides, carboxamides, dextrans, heterocyclic substituents, acids, lipids, detachable nutrient groups, such as vitamins and nutraceuticals, catalytic groups such as enzymes, chelating groups, nucleotides, food colors, emulsifier groups, or the like.
Side chains and substituents can be chemically modified for use with a variety of different foods. The hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature of the chemical compound can be adjusted to create compositions more or less compatible with fatty foods, carbohydrate based foods, meats, dry foods, cereals, baked go

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